War and corruption: Zelensky fires his subordinate

2026-08-19 17:08:37Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday dismissed the deputy head of the Presidential Administration, Iryna Mudra, on the same day that anti-corruption investigators in Ukraine launched a wide-ranging operation against a suspected criminal organization involving politicians and senior officials.

The news of Mudra's dismissal was announced by the Office of the President, reports Euronews.

She was responsible for legal affairs and justice reform in the presidential administration, and had previously served as Deputy Minister of Justice.

As part of the operation, Ukrainian media reported that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) had searched premises linked to Mudra and MP Vadym Stolar.

NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) announced that they were conducting an operation to uncover a "criminal organization," which, according to them, was led by a current and a former Ukrainian MP and included senior officials of the Presidential Office.

Investigative institutions have not initially disclosed the identities of the persons involved nor the specific charges against them, stating that details will be published later.

The investigation, codenamed "Forest Gump," is the latest in a series of high-profile corruption investigations that have affected Zelensky's administration.

As part of the operation, NABU has also published parts of the intercepted conversations, without publicly identifying the people being listened to. The recordings appear to discuss issues related to registering assets in the names of children, as well as references to the Presidential Office.

Meanwhile, MP Vadym Stolar has been elected to parliament as part of the pro-Russian Opposition Platform – For Life, which was banned after the full Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

He is currently part of the Restoration of Ukraine parliamentary group, formed mainly by former members of this political force.

The latest operation takes place at a time when NABU and SAPO are investigating a series of corruption allegations at the highest levels of Ukrainian politics.


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