**Zelensky's Administration Faces Criticism as Anti-Corruption Efforts Wane**

Amid ongoing war and heightened tensions, critics accuse President Zelensky of suppressing anti-corruption entities, raising alarms over democratic integrity.

Volodymyr Zelensky rose to prominence as Ukraine’s president in 2019, fueled by a commitment to tackling systemic corruption in the country. However, a growing chorus of critics asserts that his administration is now actively undermining vital anti-corruption bodies as they scrutinize the government’s conduct.

Notably, Vitalii Shabunin, a leading figure in Ukraine's anti-corruption movement and a vocal opponent of Zelensky, was recently implicated in allegations of military service evasion and fraud. Shabunin firmly denies the charges, which many supporters both domestically and internationally regard as baseless. Should he be found guilty, the potential sentence could exceed ten years.

In a troubling escalation this week, amidst ongoing military conflict with Russia, Ukrainian security forces conducted widespread raids on the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, citing claims of Russian infiltration within these agencies. This development alarmed many observers who see it as part of a broader campaign against independent oversight.

Further compounding these concerns, a legislative measure passed by the Ukrainian Parliament—controlled by Zelensky’s political party—bestows additional powers upon the prosecutor general, a position filled by a Zelensky appointee, enabling increased control over anti-corruption investigations.

Activists and scholars warn that these actions reflect a systematic erasure of media independence and governmental accountability, potentially reversing significant strides in democratic reforms achieved in recent years. The situation poses critical challenges as the country strives not only for survival against aggression from Russia but also for the preservation of its democratic principles.