KYIV — A highly anticipated live broadcast from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine descended into chaos on Wednesday when a physical altercation broke out among lawmakers during a session focused on restoring the independence of the country’s top anti-corruption agencies.
The session marked the first time since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 that a plenary meeting of the Ukrainian parliament was broadcast live to the public. Just minutes into the historic broadcast, video footage shared widely online captured a scuffle between two deputies, prompting colleagues to rush in and break up the confrontation.
The tension comes as the Rada debates a pivotal piece of legislation — President Volodymyr Zelensky’s bill No. 13533 — which seeks to restore and protect the operational independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP).
The session is being streamed live on the parliament’s official YouTube channel, marking a significant step in parliamentary transparency after years of restricted access due to wartime conditions.
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Since Russia’s invasion began, the Ukrainian parliament had suspended live broadcasts of its plenary sessions. While broadcasts of committee meetings resumed in January 2025, today’s session is the first full live stream of a plenary meeting in more than three years.
The debate over anti-corruption reforms has been intensifying in recent weeks. On July 22, a bill was passed with support from 263 deputies that included provisions critics say could weaken NABU and SAP. The move triggered widespread public backlash, sparking large-scale protests in major Ukrainian cities and renewing pressure on lawmakers to safeguard the independence of these key institutions.
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President Zelensky’s new bill is seen as a direct response to public outrage and international concern. It has already received backing from NABU and SAP representatives, who stressed that preserving the autonomy of anti-corruption bodies is essential for ensuring integrity, accountability, and Ukraine’s continued progress toward EU integration.
The relevant parliamentary committee has recommended that Zelensky’s bill be adopted both as a basis and in full — a sign of strong momentum behind the legislation despite internal divisions.
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