Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies search premises linked to central bank head Pyshnyi
In short
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) carried out searches linked to National Bank of Ukraine head Andriy Pyshnyi on 21 October, Russian outlets reported. NABU confirmed searches at the bank and at the home of one employee, and said no one had been detained or charged.
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Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) carried out searches and other investigative actions linked to National Bank of Ukraine head Andriy Pyshnyi (Андрей Пышный) on 21 October, Russian outlets reported. TASS reported it first, at 09:36 local time, citing a Rada deputy, and RBC followed at 09:52. Meduza cited deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko and sources of Ukrainska Pravda. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
RIA Novosti cited Rada deputy Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who wrote in his Telegram channel that the visit was to the head of the National Bank. He later said detectives were working in the official's office. NABU then confirmed searches in the bank's premises and at the residence of one employee. According to the bureau, nobody had been detained and no charges had been brought. [ 3 , 6 ]
Vedomosti, citing the Ukrainian outlet Strana, said NABU began the investigative actions in the morning. At 22:37 TASS, again citing Strana, reported that the head's official car had also been searched, and that several Rada deputies had earlier said the searches covered Pyshnyi's office and other addresses linked to him. [ 7 , 9 ]
Zhelezniak had earlier said a criminal case was opened against Pyshnyi for knowingly false testimony to a Rada temporary investigative commission. Kommersant, citing TASS, said the commission was dealing with the case of Sense Bank, which NABU and SAP say was used to launder money. It named a group that included Rada deputy Vadim Stolar, former deputy head of the president's office Irina Mudraya and the bank's management. The investigation led to dismissals at the bank and its sale. Parliament also demanded Pyshnyi's resignation, though some deputies said he could not have known about the scheme. [ 3 , 5 ]
Kommersant said the reason for the investigators' visit was not specified, and TASS wrote that it was unknown which case the visit was connected with. Vedomosti, citing a source of Strana.ua, said Pyshnyi had feared the consequences of his ties with Andriy Yermak, who earlier headed Zelensky's office. [ 5 , 7 , 8 ]
Meduza said Pyshnyi became head of the National Bank in October 2022 and that several corruption scandals have continued in Ukraine since late last year. It said NABU and SAP had accused Yermak of taking part in an organised group involved in laundering 460 million hryvnias. RIA Novosti added that the confrontation between NABU and President Zelensky had sharpened in the summer of 2025. [ 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The searches concern the head of Ukraine's central bank, who held the post since October 2022 according to Meduza. The documents do not say what the searches are for, so their consequences remain unclear.
Key facts
- NABU and SAP conducted searches and other investigative actions linked to National Bank of Ukraine head Andriy Pyshnyi (Андрей Пышный), Russian outlets reported on 21 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Rada deputy Yaroslav Zhelezniak said in Telegram that the anti-corruption bodies had come to Pyshnyi, and later said detectives were working in his office. [ 3 ]
- NABU confirmed searches in the bank's premises and at the residence of one employee; according to the bureau, nobody had been detained and no charges had been brought. [ 3 , 6 ]
- Zhelezniak had earlier reported that a criminal case was opened against Pyshnyi for knowingly false testimony to a Rada temporary investigative commission. [ 3 ]
- TASS, citing Strana, reported that the head's official car was also searched. [ 9 ]
- TASS and Kommersant said it was not specified what the searches were connected with. [ 5 , 8 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- NABU and SAP carried out searches and investigative actions linked to the head of Ukraine's National Bank, Andriy Pyshnyi. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- NABU confirmed searches in the bank's premises and at the home of one employee, and said nobody had been detained or charged. [ 3 , 6 ]
- A criminal case against Pyshnyi for false testimony to a Rada temporary investigative commission was reported earlier. [ 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- What the searches are connected with. TASS and Kommersant say the reason for the investigators' visit was not specified.
- Whether the searches relate to the Sense Bank case. Kommersant, citing TASS, describes the false-testimony case in connection with Sense Bank, but does not link the searches to it.
- Pyshnyi's alleged fear of consequences of his ties with Andriy Yermak. Vedomosti attributes this to a single source of the Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua.
- The search of the head's official car. Reported only by TASS, citing Strana.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reports, citing a Rada deputy, that NABU and SAP are carrying out investigative actions at the head of the National Bank. [ 1 ]
- RBC reports that NABU and SAP are conducting searches at Pyshnyi. [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti reports Zhelezniak's statement and NABU's confirmation of searches at the bank and at an employee's home. [ 3 ]
- TASS reports that NABU confirmed the searches at the National Bank. [ 6 ]
- TASS, citing Strana, reports that the head's official car was searched. [ 9 ]