Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Telegram
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is facing renewed domestic pressure after a senior presidential office official was dismissed amid corruption allegations and former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for the restoration of elections during wartime, Bloomberg reports.
On Wednesday, August 19, anti-corruption authorities searched the home of presidential office deputy head Iryna Mudra, as well as an opposition lawmaker and the chair of Sense Bank’s supervisory board. The searches were part of the “Forrest Gump” operation investigating an alleged money-laundering scheme.
At the same time, Fedorov used a video address to call for the development of a mechanism to restore elections even if the war continues for several more years. His statement came just hours before parliament approved his successor as defense minister.
The developments come as Zelenskyy seeks to contain domestic dissatisfaction and prepare Ukraine for another winter of Russian attacks amid shortages of critical Patriot air-defense missiles.
New corruption scandal
The alleged scheme reportedly involved UAH 150 million ($3.4 million) used as bail for former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, who was detained earlier this year in a separate investigation into alleged embezzlement.
Zelenskyy dismissed Mudra, a prominent lawyer who joined his team in March 2024 after serving as a deputy justice minister.
She is the latest senior official close to the president to become linked to corruption allegations. Former presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak resigned in November and was later accused of money laundering.
Last year, Zelenskyy also attempted to restrict the powers of Ukraine’s two main anti-corruption bodies, NABU and SAPO, but withdrew the plan after nationwide protests and pressure from key international partners and donors.
Fedorov emerges as a political challenge
A new wave of political tensions followed Fedorov’s dismissal as defense minister last month. The 35-year-old former minister is popular among many young Ukrainians and has been credited by supporters with helping develop Ukraine’s drone warfare strategy.
Rather than leaving government quietly, Fedorov held a press conference in which he discussed his conflict with then-Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and subsequently continued to speak publicly about the need for major reforms in the armed forces.
Under pressure from protests, Zelenskyy eventually dismissed Syrskyi but did not restore Fedorov to the defense ministry.
Fedorov’s latest call for elections is unlikely to produce an immediate vote. Ukraine’s Constitution prohibits elections while martial law is in effect, and that principle has remained largely uncontested during the full-scale invasion.
The move nevertheless creates an additional political challenge for Zelenskyy and new Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara, who is not viewed as a political figure in the same way as his predecessor.
