MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/. Protests resumed in Ukraine over a law that effectively abolishes the independence of the country’s two agencies fighting corruption.

According to the news outlet Obshchestvennoye. Novosti, people are rallying in Chernigov and Ternopol against the law that targets the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. The protesters are holding signs saying "People are the source of power in Ukraine" and "We are against dictatorship" among others. There is not a lot of people yet but the crowd is getting bigger.

Earlier, the Zerkalo Nedeli reported that protests were also expected to take place on Wednesday in Kiev, Dnepr and Lvov.

Vladimir Zelensky has long tried to gain control over the agencies. On June 23, the bureau filed corruption charges against Alexey Chernyshov, who at the time served as deputy prime minister. Chernyshov is regarded as a very influential figure in Zelensky's inner circle. According to some opposition lawmakers, the corruption watchdogs could soon bring charges against other people close to Zelensky.

On July 21, the Security Service of Ukraine conducted 70 searches in the offices of the bureau’s staff and also inspected the prosecutor’s office. On July 22, the legislature, where the majority of seats is controlled by Zelensky’s party, passed a bill aiming to strip the watchdogs of their independent status. In the evening of the same day, about 2,000 Kiev residents took to the streets in protest, demanding, among other things, the resignation of Zelensky's chief of staff, Andrey Yermak. Rallies also took place in Dnepr, Lvov, Odessa, Poltava, Rovno and Ternopol. Even so, Zelensky signed the bill into law and it came into force on Wednesday.