Rostyslav Shurma, the former deputy head of Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidential office, had his residence in Germany raided by Bavarian investigators at the request of Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators.
The raid happened in mid-July and was immediately followed by the highly controversial move by Zelensky against the independence of Ukrainian anti-corruption institutions.
According to German news outlet Der Spiegel, the properties of Shurma, formerly a close confidant of the Ukrainian President, were searched on July 15 after a request from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
When he was deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Shurma supervised the Ukrainian economy for almost three years.
He was part of a group of several managers close to Zelensky now being investigated by NABU in Ukraine.
He was dismissed from his job in September 2024 and moved to Munich, Germany, with his family.
Shurma did not reply to media requests for comment.
Prominent Ukrainian anti-corruption activist Daria Kaleniuk told Der Spiegel she believed the Shurma case was one of the reasons why the President signed the law to disempower NABU.
COMMENT: The only rational reason for why Ukraine is stripping independence from two anti-corruption bodies is that Zelensky, or someone in his government, is worried about what they might find, writes @AJConstantini. https://t.co/UjgAWnrVBg
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) July 23, 2025
The Ukrainian Government faced intense backlash after Zelensky signed a law limiting the independence of two anti-corruption agencies earlier in July.
The contentious bill granted control of NABU and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) to the prosecutor general, who was appointed by the President.
For several consecutive days, thousands of people took to the streets, a striking display to many, given that the country is actively at war and civilians face daily attacks from Russian drones and rockets.
Kyiv’s western allies expressed their displeasure at the law and indicated they would not support the President in enacting it.
Zelensky argued provisions needed to be taken as NABU and SAPO were letting criminal proceedings stagnate for years and insisted they had to be “cleansed from Russian influence”.
The pushback both at home and abroad was so intense that Zelensky had to retract his plans and signed a new law on July 31 that reportedly guaranteed the independence of anti-corruption authorities.
In a new provision, employees of those authorities, the police and the investigative authority will have to undergo regular lie detector tests in the future.
Both anti-corruption agencies supported the new draft.
Anti-corruption has been a key element in moving away from the Russian sphere of influence and NABU and SAPO were founded after the Euromaidan revolution in 2014 as part of Western-backed reforms.
President @ZelenskyyUa's signature on the law restoring NABU & SAPO independence is a welcome step.
Ukraine’s rule of law and anti-corruption reforms should continue. They remain essential for Ukraine’s progress on the European path.
The EU will continue to support these…
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 31, 2025
