Ukraine’s former ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, has officially been named a suspect in a corruption investigation just two days after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy removed her from the post.
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) issued Stefanishyna with a new notice of suspicion on August 5, according to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.
Investigators accuse Stefanishyna of failing to declare two apartments, money allegedly used for renovations, travel tickets and rent payments for another property. Prosecutors also allege that she failed to declare her use of a vehicle registered in the name of one of her subordinates.
According to investigators, her reported expenses exceeded her declared income and savings, Euronews reported.
Stefanishyna has rejected the allegations, saying she is approaching the investigation “calmly and without unnecessary emotions.” She stressed that procedural actions do not amount to a finding of guilt and said she would defend her position through legal channels.
Zelenskyy dismissed Stefanishyna as ambassador to the United States on August 3 without publicly giving a reason for the decision. Her removal immediately fueled speculation that it could be connected to a potential corruption investigation, amid a broader political and governmental reshuffle in Ukraine.
Stefanishyna had previously said that her departure was due to “personal reasons.”
The case comes as Ukraine continues efforts to strengthen its anti-corruption institutions while facing intense international scrutiny over governance and the use of public resources during Russia’s ongoing war.
