KYIV, Ukraine (AP) \u2014 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired one of his most senior officials Wednesday as corruption investigators named a deputy head of the presidential office among the suspects in a money-laundering case.<\/p>\n
The stunning developments came a day after Ukraine\u2019s recently fired defense minister<\/a> demanded national elections, despite Russia\u2019s more than 4-year-old invasion.<\/a><\/p>\n Although Zelenskyy was not implicated in the graft investigation, it threatened to pull him into another political crisis and provide another test of his resilience.<\/p>\n Investigators gave few details of the probe. It has identified a group of people alleged to have laundered 150 million hryvnias ($3.4 million) to pay bail for a defendant in a major graft case<\/a> last year, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n AP AUDIO: Zelenskyy fires a top aide amid a graft probe as Ukraine\u2019s ex-defense minister demands elections\n <\/p>\n AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports on a corruption investigation into Ukraine\u2019s government after its ex-defense minister speaks out.<\/p>\n That case, involving the state-owned nuclear power company, brought the resignations of Ukraine\u2019s justice and energy ministers.<\/p>\n The latest suspects include a former lawmaker, the chairperson of a state bank\u2019s board and the head of the bank\u2019s supervisory board, as well as a deputy head of the presidential office, the agency said.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy made no public comment on the investigation but issued a decree dismissing Iryna Mudra as deputy head of the Office of the President. Investigators have not named her as a suspect.<\/p>\n Investigators searched Mudra\u2019s office Wednesday, said lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy remains dogged by high-level graft investigations, although he has never been named as a suspect even as the probes have engulfed officials close to him. Last year, his chief of staff Andriy Yermak resigned and later was named as a suspect in a major graft probe involving a luxury construction project in the biggest threat<\/a> to Zelenskyy\u2019s government since Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion.<\/p>\n The European Union has identified deep-seated corruption as one of the major hurdles<\/a> to Ukraine\u2019s desired membership in the bloc.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy\u2019s former aide wants a wartime election<\/p>\n Zelenskyy is already under pressure over his firing last month<\/a> of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, one of the longest-standing members of his team and a close ally since helping him win the 2019 presidential election.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy, seeking to reconcile tensions<\/a> between the Defense Ministry\u2019s young and tech-savvy innovators and Ukraine\u2019s seasoned, Soviet-trained battlefield leaders, risked angering both sides by reshuffling his wartime leadership. He ousted both Fedorov, whose changes to military procurement aimed to stamp out corruption, and commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi.<\/p>\n That sparked sustained street protests supporting Fedorov. For Zelenskyy, it was the second time in a year that a move triggered a strong public backlash, after he tried to curb the powers of anti-corruption agencies in 2025.<\/p>\n Fedorov, in an address posted to YouTube late Tuesday, called for elections \u2014 appearing to directly confront Zelenskyy, whose term expired in 2024. Ukraine\u2019s constitution prohibits such a vote under martial law.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n Sign up for Morning Wire:<\/strong> \u201cWe must find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war,\u201d Fedorov said.<\/p>\n He said Ukraine faces a crisis in how it is governed, arguing the current system is oriented toward protecting itself and resisting change. He also condemned corruption among officials without naming anyone, saying it had weakened Ukraine\u2019s ability to fight.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy\u2019s office did not immediately comment on Fedorov\u2019s address. It was not immediately clear whether Fedorov\u2019s appeal would resonate with Ukrainians.<\/p>\n Also on Wednesday, lawmakers approved Zelenskyy\u2019s candidate, Maj. Gen. Yevhenii Khmara, as the new defense minister, a move that effectively closes the door to Fedorov\u2019s return to the post, which he has sought, anytime soon.<\/p>\n Lawmakers also gave their consent for Andrii Sybiha to stay on as foreign minister after serving in an interim role.<\/p>\n Political disarray follows Ukrainian wartime successes<\/p>\n The political disarray follows recent successes for Ukraine in the war. Using innovative drone technology<\/a>, it has repeatedly hit Russian oil facilities, causing fuel shortages<\/a>. It has also shocked the Russian public by striking warehouses of Wildberries<\/a>, the country\u2019s biggest online retailer, and stalled front-line advances<\/a> by Moscow\u2019s bigger army.<\/p>\n But Zelenskyy has been unable to get traction in U.S.-led peace efforts, and Ukraine is at the mercy of Russia\u2019s ballistic missiles because more U.S.-made Patriot interceptors aren\u2019t available due to low international stockpiles.<\/p>\n
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