Zelenskyy Fires Top Aide in Corruption Probe Just 24 Hours After Ex-Minister Demands Wartime Election
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed deputy chief of staff Iryna Mudra amid a reported money-laundering investigation, escalating political tensions just one day after former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov publicly called for a wartime presidential election [222598].
The removal, carried out by presidential decree, follows Ukrainian media reports that investigators searched Mudra’s home as part of an alleged corruption scheme [222598]. The dismissal comes at a moment of heightened pressure on Zelenskyy’s government, as Fedorov—who was himself sacked from the defense post last year—has argued that a national vote is necessary to restore public trust and address what he calls a “crisis of governance” [222598].
Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, a measure that automatically suspends all national elections [222220]. Fedorov’s public demand breaks with the government’s official position that voting is impossible under current wartime conditions, marking the most significant political challenge to Zelenskyy since the invasion began [222549].
The former minister made his call in newly surfaced video footage, which has ignited debate across the political spectrum [222523]. While the footage does not specify a timeline for elections, the suggestion has raised questions about political stability during active conflict [222523]. Fedorov’s dismissal earlier this year had already triggered public protests and criticism from opposition leaders, and analysts say the latest developments could further destabilize the ruling coalition [222523][220339].
The government has not yet issued an official response to Fedorov’s video, and no further details about the corruption investigation involving Mudra have been released [222523][222598].