MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) are conducting a special operation against a criminal group headed by a current and former Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) lawmakers and involving officials from Vladimir Zelensky’s office.

Reports have emerged of searches at the premises of Irina Mudraya, deputy head of Zelensky’s office. Media reports identify Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Vadim Stolar and former Ukrainian parliament member Maxim Mykytas as suspects in the investigation.

TASS has compiled the key information available so far.

Statement from the anti-corruption agency

- NABU and SAPO are conducting a special operation to expose a criminal organization, according to a statement posted on NABU’s Telegram channel.

- According to the anti-corruption agencies, the group operated under the leadership of a current and former Ukrainian lawmakers, with the involvement of officials from Zelensky’s office.

- Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies have revealed the code name of their new operation: "Forrest Gump." The name comes from the American film whose main character has an intellectual disability.

- NABU and SAPO published a 47-second video on their Telegram and YouTube channels.

- One of the voices in the video explains the meaning of the operation’s name: "Only an idiot would put stolen money and tuition payments in their children’s names, hence the name ‘Forrest Gump.’"

- The video also features the voice of an unnamed person involved in the anti-corruption investigation, who agrees to surrender and testify.

- The conversations in the video also mention "four bags," without specifying what they contain.

- Earlier, the Ukrainian media associated the NABU and SAPO investigation into Zelensky’s inner circle with the title of another Hollywood film, "Saving Private Ryan."

Reports on possible suspects

- The Zerkalo Nedeli newspaper reported that NABU and SAPO are conducting a special operation against Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Vadim Stolar and former Ukrainian parliament member Maxim Mykytas.

- The newspaper said that Justice Ministry officials and representatives of Sense Bank are also named in the case.

- The Strana newspaper reported that the operation may be aimed at Vadim Stolar, the informal leader of the Restoration of Ukraine parliamentary group.

Searches

- Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Alexey Goncharenko, who is listed in Russia’s register of terrorists and extremists, said that NABU and SAPO are searching the premises of Irina Mudraya, deputy head of Zelensky’s office.

- Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that NABU and SAPO are conducting searches at Sense Bank.

- The lawmaker said that Sense Bank is connected to businessman Timur Mindich.

- The Ekonomicheskaya Pravda newspaper, citing sources, confirmed that NABU and SAPO are conducting searches at Sense Bank and at the premises of the bank’s Supervisory Board Chairman Nikolay Gladyshchenko.

- According to the newspaper, the bank has not yet commented on the situation.

- Stolar confirmed in a post on his Facebook page that investigators are searching his home. Facebook is banned in Russia and belongs to Meta, recognized as extremist in Russia.

- He said he is cooperating openly with NABU representatives and is not hindering their work.