Zelenskyy Dismisses Deputy Chief Amid Expanding Anti-Corruption Probe

On August 19, 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree removing Iryna Mudra from her role as deputy head of the Office of the President. The order gave no explicit reason. Hours earlier, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) began “Operation Forest Gump,” a sweep targeting a suspected criminal organization that allegedly laundered funds through state-owned Sense Bank.

Politico EuropeEuronewsZelenskyy fires senior aide amid graft probe as ex-defense minister calls for elections

The Forest Gump probe is linked to the larger “Midas” scandal, which uncovered kickbacks from contractors to Energoatom and identified roughly €85 million in illicit transfers. A day before Mudra’s dismissal, former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov released a nine-minute video calling the country’s governance a “systemic crisis” and urging a wartime presidential election—an unprecedented demand given the constitutional ban on elections while martial law persists.

Zelenskyy sacks senior aide amid fresh corruption crisis in Ukraine

• Volodymyr Zelenskyy — President of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy fires senior aide amid graft probe as ex-defense minister calls for elections

• Iryna Mudra — Deputy head of the presidential office; subject of the anti-corruption sweep.

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• Mykhailo Fedorov — Former defence minister, now opposition voice.

The Guardian

• Herman Halushchenko — Former energy minister, defendant in the Midas case.

The Guardian

• Timur Mindich — Former co-owner of Kvartal 95, accused ringleader of the Midas scheme.

The Guardian

• Andriy Yermak — Former chief of staff, previously named in related investigations.

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• August 19, 2026 – Zelenskyy’s decree dismisses Mudra; NABU launches Operation Forest Gump.

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• June 2026 – Zelenskyy meets EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels.

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• July 23, 2025 – Protesters rally in central Kyiv against legislation curbing anti-corruption bodies.

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• July 31, 2025 – Additional demonstrations outside the Ukrainian parliament.

Zelenskyy sacks senior aide amid fresh corruption crisis in Ukraine

• NABU alleges the group laundered 150 million hryvnia (? $3 million) through Sense Bank to fund bail for Halushchenko.

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• The broader Midas investigation cites €85 million transferred from corrupt contracts.

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President Zelenskyy’s decree terminated Mudra’s appointment without comment on the investigation. NABU’s video described the suspected network as comprising a deputy head of the president’s office, a serving MP, a former MP, and senior officials of Sense Bank, but did not name individuals.

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Former defence minister Fedorov warned that corruption remains “a symptom” of a deeper governance crisis and argued that “we must find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war.”

Zelenskyy fires senior aide amid graft probe as ex-defense minister calls for elections

Fedorov’s public criticism represents the most prominent dissent.

The Guardian

Photographs from July 23, 2025 and July 31, 2025 show thousands gathering in Kyiv to protest attempts to weaken anti-corruption institutions, underscoring public concern over the integrity of the investigations.

Euronews

Sources differ on the total scale of money laundering: NABU cites 150 million hryvnia for the Forest Gump operation, while other reports reference €85 million linked to the earlier Midas case. The identity of “David” mentioned in Mudra’s leaked recordings remains unclear, with speculation that it could be David Arakhamia, head of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People faction, but no confirmation is provided.

Euronews