Andriy Kostin has stepped down as Ukraine's Prosecutor General after a scandal involving fake disability claims by government officials.
"The President of Ukraine held a National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) meeting on the immoral situation regarding false disability statuses. Currently, inspections and criminal investigations are underway across all levels of government. Under these circumstances, I believe it is right to resign," said Kostin, as quoted by the Prosecutor General's Office.
Kostin expressed full support for President Volodymyr Zelensky's stance on canceling all illegitimate disability decisions and thanked the president and the Verkhovna Rada for their trust.
Earlier, Zelensky convened the NSDC to address the issue of officials abusing the disability system.
"Numerous violations and clearly fake disability statuses have been identified. I instructed the Prime Minister to resolve this issue at the level of central executive bodies, including the relevant ministries. Staffing changes are needed," Zelensky said.
The President also ordered the dissolution of the Medical-Social Expert Commissions (MSECs), which issued disability documents, with a review of their staff's declarations, a reassessment of unjustified disability decisions, and an audit of pension payments. According to the President's decree, MSECs will be disbanded by December 31, 2024.
Previously, law enforcement arrested the head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Center for Medical-Social Expertise, Tetyana Krupa, revealing that over 60 local prosecutors had unlawfully obtained disability status.
Kostin had served as Ukraine's Prosecutor General since July 2022, succeeding Iryna Venediktova. Before his appointment, he was a member of parliament from the "Servant of the People" party.
