Ukraine’s top anti-corruption bodies have published recordings and messages they say point to an attempted cash-for-votes operation inside parliament, following raids on offices linked to former prime minister Yulia Timoshenko’s Batkivshchina (Fatherland) party.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said charges were filed after investigators uncovered alleged efforts by a senior parliamentary faction figure to pay MPs monthly sums of $10,000 to vote against government-backed measures.
Audio released by the agencies features a woman describing how lawmakers should abstain or avoid votes to weaken President Vladimir Zelensky’s ruling majority, with instructions allegedly to be delivered via the encrypted Signal app.
Video footage also shows Timoshenko confronting investigators over bundles of US dollars, though she has denied any wrongdoing, accusing authorities of political persecution. The case unfolds amid longstanding tensions between Timoshenko and the Western-backed anti-corruption institutions, which she has previously criticised as tools of external influence, and comes as Ukraine’s leadership remains under close scrutiny from foreign donors over its handling of corruption allegations.
‼️🇺🇦 New corruption scandal in Ukraine.
Yulia Timoshenko, former PM and now head of 'Batkivshchyna' political party is facing corruption allegations for bribing and buying votes from Ukranian lawmakers.
She's possibly looking at 10yrs. It's believed there are others involved. pic.twitter.com/GkP61DdSLD
— Spetsnaℤ 007 🇷🇺 (@Alex_Oloyede2) January 14, 2026
