Photo: EPA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Iryna Mudra as deputy head of the Office of the President amid a major investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
The dismissal was formalized by presidential decree No. 734/2026.
The move came after NABU and SAPO announced a special operation targeting an alleged criminal organization involving a sitting and a former Ukrainian lawmaker, senior officials from the Office of the President and other individuals.
The anti-corruption agencies did not publicly identify the suspects, but sources cited by Ukrainian media said the case involves Mudra, former Opposition Platform — For Life lawmaker Vadym Stolar and former MP Maksym Mykytas. Businessman Vasyl Astion, who has previously faced allegations related to corporate raiding, is also reportedly among the suspects.
Officials from the Ministry of Justice and representatives of Sense Bank are also reportedly involved. Searches were conducted at the bank’s headquarters, with the surrounding area sealed off.
According to MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak, investigators suspect that unidentified individuals from the Office of the President tasked Mudra with helping bring the bank under the office’s control and preventing other government structures from gaining influence over it.
Investigators also reportedly examined arrangements involving UAH 150 million in bail for former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, who is a suspect in the separate “Midas” corruption case.
During searches connected to the “Forrest Gump” investigation, authorities reportedly found a crisis communications plan related to a temporary parliamentary investigative commission. The document allegedly contained messaging and communication steps intended to shape the public response to the commission’s work.
