Ukrainian security forces have arrested Ruslan Mahamedrasulov, a senior detective at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), on suspicion of conducting illegal business with Russia and potentially collaborating with Russian intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced Monday.
According to SBU, Mahamedrasulov, responsible for NABU operations in the front-line Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, allegedly helped his father, a Russian citizen, sell industrial hemp to buyers in Dagestan. Ukrainian law prohibits such trade with Russia during wartime.
The investigation also uncovered undisclosed ties between Mahamedrasulov’s family and Russia. According to the SBU, Mahamedrasulov failed to report his father’s Russian citizenship when applying for access to state secrets, violating national security protocols.
His mother, Iryna Mahamedrasulova, resides in Kyiv but collects a pension from the Russian-occupied “Donetsk People’s Republic” and reportedly shares pro-Kremlin content online, including posts featuring pro-war symbols.
The investigation also found that he maintained close contact with former Ukrainian lawmaker Fedir Khrystenko, a member of the now-banned Opposition Platform–For Life party. Khrystenko, accused of being a Russian spy, fled Ukraine and is reportedly cooperating with Russian intelligence services while attempting to influence NABU’s activities, according to SBU.
The SBU added that investigators are also verifying information regarding Mahamedrasulov’s “possible contacts with Russian intelligence services and the alleged transfer of classified information, including details of planned investigative actions.”
Ukrainian authorities are currently preparing formal charges against Mahamedrasulov under Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to “aiding the aggressor state.”
Meanwhile, NABU criticized the SBU raids, claiming the searches were carried out without court warrants and that physical force was used against a NABU detective during one of the operations.
“In most cases, the grounds for investigative actions are traffic accidents. However, some employees are being accused of possible connections with the aggressor state. These are unrelated matters,” NABU said in a statement.
“NABU is currently conducting an internal review of the events of July 21 and is investigating the legal basis for the actions taken, including the use of force against its employee,” the agency added.
