Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Iryna Mudra as deputy head of his office on Wednesday, hours after anti-corruption investigators searched her workplace as part of a major probe into an alleged criminal organization involving current and former lawmakers and senior officials.
Zelenskyy announced Mudra’s dismissal in a one-line decree that did not provide a reason for her removal.
The move came shortly after Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) announced a new investigation, carried out jointly with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), into an alleged network operating within Ukraine’s political establishment.
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Forrest Gump,” alleges that the group laundered around 150 million Ukrainian hryvnia — approximately $3 million — through state-owned Sense Bank to finance bail for former Energy Minister German Galushchenko.
Galushchenko has been identified as a key figure in last year’s $100 million “Midas” corruption scandal involving Ukraine’s energy sector.
NABU did not name Mudra in its public announcement, instead referring to a deputy head of the president’s office. However, investigators searched Mudra’s office as part of the operation.
The anti-corruption bureau also released recordings in which a woman identified as a deputy head of the president’s office can allegedly be heard saying: “Fighting corruption is a wrong approach … Corruption has to be systemized and controlled.”
NABU did not identify the woman by name, and Mudra did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The investigation adds to a difficult period for Zelenskyy, who is facing renewed scrutiny over corruption and governance in Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
The latest developments follow criticism from former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who recently called for wartime elections and accused the government of presiding over a systemic governance crisis. His removal from office had previously triggered prolonged street protests.
The new anti-corruption investigation could further intensify political pressure on Zelenskyy, particularly as Ukrainian authorities seek to demonstrate progress in combating corruption and maintaining institutional accountability.
The allegations remain under investigation, and the individuals targeted by the probe have not been convicted of wrongdoing.
