Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Iryna Mudra, a deputy chief of staff, by decree amid a fresh corruption investigation. No official reason was given, while Ukrainian media reported that officials investigating an alleged money-laundering scheme had searched her house.
The dismissal came one day after former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine faced “a crisis of governance” and called for a wartime presidential election. Zelenskyy did not directly address Fedorov’s accusations or election demand in his initial public statements.
What the anti-corruption agency says
Ukraine’s Nabu anti-corruption agency said it was conducting a special operation into an alleged criminal conspiracy involving high-ranking officials from the president’s office and others. The agency said those involved included a deputy head of the president’s office, a serving MP, a former MP and senior figures at a state-owned bank, without naming them.
Nabu said the group was accused of laundering 150m hryvinas (£2.5m) through the state-owned bank to post bail in June for former energy minister Herman Haluschenko. Haluschenko is facing anti-corruption charges in the Midas case alongside businessman Timur Mindich, who has fled to Israel and denies wrongdoing.
Related coverage: How Russia’s missile attacks are deepening Ukraine’s air-defence crisis.
Why the election dispute matters
Fedorov became the first major public figure to call for a presidential poll, arguing that corruption remained widespread and that Zelenskyy had failed to control it. He said the issue was a systemic governance crisis and questioned whether Russia should be able to determine when Ukrainians could choose their government.
Elections have been suspended since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Zelenskyy’s term notionally expired in spring 2024, but Ukraine’s constitution prohibits an election during wartime. The source material says most Ukrainians had also considered a wartime vote impractical and potentially divisive while Russia continues its attacks.
A widening crisis around the presidency
Fedorov’s removal from office in July triggered Ukraine’s most significant street protests since the war began. He is considering a visit to the United States, possibly as soon as the following week, in an apparent effort to secure American support for his position.
More context: Ukraine’s Former Army Chief Rules Out Joining NATO.
The scandal has also involved Zelenskyy’s former chief aide Andriy Yermak, who resigned after anti-corruption investigators searched his home and was later arrested on suspicion of money laundering. Yermak’s lawyer called the allegations baseless. Mindich is accused of orchestrating a scheme involving kickbacks from companies seeking to supply the state-owned nuclear power generator Energoatom; he denies wrongdoing.
Zelenskyy’s public activity continued during the dispute. He thanked parliament for confirming Yevhen Khmara as Fedorov’s replacement and later presented 25 housing certificates to decorated veterans and their families, saying Ukraine must honour its heroes.
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