Who Will Replace Prosecutor General Kravchenko? "Glavcom" Learned About a Possible Successor

After Ruslan Kravchenko was dismissed, the Office of the General Prosecutor will enter a kind of transitional regime. Temporarily, someone from the deputy general prosecutors will lead the agency, and among possible candidates is Oleksii Khomenko. This is reported by Glavkom with reference to its own sources in law enforcement agencies.

The Law on the Prosecution Office provides that in case of absence of the general prosecutor, his powers are exercised by the first deputy, and in case of absence of the first deputy — by one of the deputies of the general prosecutor.

Currently, the first deputy to Ruslan Kravchenko is Mariia Vdovichenko. However, she has also submitted a resignation letter. Vdovichenko appeared on tapes of anti-corruption agencies within the Karfagen operation. According to Glavkom’s sources in law enforcement agencies, 8 September — her last day at work in the position.

As Glavkom's interlocutors assert, before his dismissal Kravchenko may entrust another deputy with carrying out the duties of the general prosecutor. In particular, this concerns Oleksii Khomenko.

For Khomenko, such an appointment would not be the first. From October 2024 to June 2025 he had already served as acting general prosecutor — in the period after the resignation of Andriy Kostin and before the appointment of Ruslan Kravchenko.

At the same time, the appointment of a new full-fledged head of the prosecutor’s office may drag on. This opinion was expressed to Glavkom by Member of Parliament from Servant of the People, a member of the parliamentary committee on legal policy, Volodymyr Vatrus.

“As of today there is no appointed head of the Security Service, but there is an acting head (Oleksandr Poklad — Glavkom). Recently, there was a short period when the position of foreign minister was vacant (19 August; the Verkhovna Rada supported the appointment of Andriy Sybyha as head of the MFA — Glavkom) and the position of defense minister (19 August; the parliament appointed Yevhenii Khmara as defense minister — Glavkom). Legislation provides for such cases. In my view, this is not exactly the correct practice regarding appointments with the label “acting.” But you must understand: a professional, a worthy person needs to be found. The general prosecutor is a post that should set an example of the effective work of a legal professional, a lawyer. It also entails a large number of constitutional powers, including bringing high-ranking officials to criminal accountability,” emphasized Vatrus.

Recall that late in the evening 7 September Ruslan Kravchenko announced his resignation from the position of general prosecutor. This occurred against the backdrop of the NBU and SAP Karfagen operation and the emergence of tapes from anti-corruption agencies.

President Volodymyr Zelensky 8 September told reporters that he would soon send to the Verkhovna Rada a submission for Kravchenko’s dismissal. To approve the decision, at least 226 votes of the national deputies are required.