Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sparked outrage after quietly signing a controversial bill that slashes the independence of the nation's top anti-corruption bodies. The law, passed under the radar in a late-night signature on Tuesday, was confirmed on the official website of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. It hands sweeping new powers to the Prosecutor General's Office, allowing it to seize control of high-profile corruption investigations from the country's fiercely independent watchdogs - the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). No senior official has publicly commented on the reason for Tuesday's amendments, which would allow the general prosecutor to transfer cases from the agencies and reassign prosecutors. NABU chief Semen Kryvonos had urged Zelensky not to sign the fast-tracked bill, which he described as an attempt to 'destroy' Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure. Hundreds of furious demonstrators, many of them young, poured into the streets in Kyiv in response, staging a defiant protest despite a nationwide martial law ban on public gatherings. An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people gathered near the Ivan Franko Theatre in the heart of the capital, just steps from the presidential compound. 'They are crying that they do not want to return to the times of [former President Viktor] Yanukovych' Kyiv Post reporter Sergii Kostezh said. 'They do not want to return to the times of pro-Russian governance in Ukraine.' The bill - known as No. 12414 - was pushed through parliament at breakneck speed, tucked away in amendments to unrelated legislation in what opponents are calling a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny. Lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a vocal critic of the move, alleged on Telegram that Zelensky signed the bill almost immediately after its approval by MPs. 'They don't care about protests,' he wrote. The move has left many stunned, particularly given Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia and its efforts to secure Western support. The independence of NABU and SAPO had long been seen as a litmus test for Ukraine's commitment to democratic reform. The protest - the largest of its kind since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 - has ignited fears that the government may be sliding into authoritarian habits just as the county battles for survival. And with Ukraine's Western allies closely watching Kyiv's reform efforts, questions are now swirling over whether Zelensky's latest move will jeopardise international support. Writing on X, EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said she was 'seriously concerned' by Tuesday's vote. 'The dismantling of key safeguards protecting NABU's independence is a serious step back,' she said, adding that rule of law was at 'the very center' of accession talks. But Zelensky backed his decision, taking to X to confirm he had conversed with NABU Director Semen Kryvonos, SAPO Prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, and Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk to 'discuss various challenges'. 'The anti-corruption infrastructure will work. Only without Russian influence, it needs to be cleared of that,' he said. 'And there should be more justice. Of course, NABU and SAPO will work. And it is important that the Prosecutor General is determined to ensure that in Ukraine the inevitability of punishment for those who go against the law is actually ensured. 'This is what Ukraine really needs. The cases that have been lying dormant must be investigated. 'For years, officials who have fled Ukraine have been casually living abroad for some reason – in very nice countries and without legal consequences – and this is not normal. 'There is no rational explanation for why criminal proceedings worth billions have been "hanging" for years. And there is no explanation why the Russians can still get the information they need. 'Important is – without Russians. Important is to have an inevitability of punishment and that society really sees it'. NABU and SAPO were established after the 2014 Maidan revolution that toppled a pro-Russian president and set Kyiv on a Western course. The two agencies have stepped up their work during the war, leveling charges against lawmakers, ministers, and a former deputy head of Zelensky's administration. Anti-graft campaigners have been alarmed since authorities charged a top anti-corruption activist this month with fraud and evading military service. Critics have cast those charges as political retribution for exposing corrupt officials. The government has also faced criticism for rejecting the candidacy of an economic security chief and current NABU detective who was unanimously backed by an internationally supervised committee. A Western diplomat familiar with Ukraine's reform effort described the developments as 'the most dangerous moment' yet for the independence of anti-corruption authorities. 'The Ukrainian side is testing the limits more and more,' the person said, referring to the patience of Kyiv's allies. Many influential Ukrainians lashed out on social media after Tuesday's vote, saying it was a betrayal of Ukraine's decade-long geopolitical ambition. Fighting corruption is seen as critical to erasing a legacy of Russian rule, a sentiment echoed at the protest in Kyiv.