Zelensky announces lie detector tests for civil servants

However, in order to rule out Russian influence in state agencies, all employees with access to state secrets are to be subjected to lie detector tests, Selensky announced in his evening video message. "And these must be regular checks," he said.

He had previously submitted a corresponding new draft law on the work of the anti-corruption authorities to parliament - the Supreme Rada. This provides for lie detector tests within six months. Despite this, there were renewed protests in Kiev and other cities across the country against Zelenskyi's law, which was only signed on Tuesday despite criticism in an expedited procedure and was intended to put the anti-corruption campaigners under the control of the general prosecutor and thus ultimately also the president.

Demonstrations for the third day in a row

The protesters demanded the adoption of the new law, which would restore the previous powers of the anti-corruption fighters. In Kiev, the demonstrators gathered within sight of the presidential residence for the third day in a row, as a reporter from the German Press Agency reported on site. However, the number of people gathered remained a few hundred, which was lower than the previous day.

"The bill restores all procedural powers and guarantees the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP)," the two authorities wrote on their Telegram channels after Selensky's new bill became known. NABU and SAP were therefore involved in the drafting of the bill.

Vote on corrected law so far without a date

The date of the vote in the Rada was initially unclear. Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk promised on Facebook that the document would be put to the vote at the next session. According to MPs, however, the Supreme Rada is on summer vacation until mid-August.

Previously much incomprehension for the law

The amendment to the law on Tuesday not only triggered protests in various cities. The decision was also met with incomprehension in the EU. NABU and SAP were founded in 2015 with Western support in order to combat the notorious corruption, particularly among high-ranking politicians and in the administration. The non-governmental organization Transparency International considers the country, which is striving to join the EU, to be one of the most corrupt countries in Europe despite all its reforms.

Critics have accused Zelensky of authoritarian tendencies by trying to subjugate the authorities, which had long been independent. Commentators described his failure as a bitter political defeat that has left the president shaken.

Selensky relies on support from Chancellor Merz

According to Selenskyj, he also informed Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) about the current changes. He had "invited Germany to participate in the expert review of the draft law. Friedrich has assured me of his willingness to support me." There are also plans to involve other European partners such as the UK and the EU.

"We all agreed that there must be no interference or influence by Russia in the functioning of our anti-corruption infrastructure," Selenskyj said after a meeting with the representatives of the authorities. "Anyone who has access to state secrets - and this applies not only to NABU and the SAP, but also to the State Bureau of Investigation, our national police force - must undergo a lie detector test. And these must be regular checks," said Selenskyj.

Such tests have already been carried out in the past, but not to the extent now planned. However, NABU was relieved to announce in the evening that, according to the draft law, the tests would not be carried out by the SBU secret service, but by an internal administrative control body. However, the text published on the Rada website explicitly mentions the SBU for the first inspection after the law comes into force. All subsequent checks are to be carried out by internal control bodies at least every two years.

Zelensky announces response to Russian attacks

In his evening message, the Ukrainian President once again condemned the ongoing Russian attacks - despite the direct negotiations between Kiev and Moscow in Istanbul on Wednesday. With the attacks - such as on the market in Odessa and on the city of Kharkiv, where more than 40 people were injured - Russia is showing that it has no interest in peace. Many other cities were also once again targets of Russian drone and bomb attacks, resulting in deaths and injuries.

"Of course we will respond to Russia to all of this," Selensky announced. In its defensive struggle against Moscow's war of aggression, which has been going on for more than three years, Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian territory. A woman died in a drone attack on the Russian region of Kursk, as the authorities there announced in the evening. Overall, the number of victims and the damage are disproportionate to the massive destruction, many deaths and injuries caused by the Russian attacks in Ukraine.