Ukraine sacks deputy chief of staff Iryna Mudra amid corruption crisis: Who is she

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired his deputy chief of staff Iryna Mudra amid a fresh corruption investigation. This comes a day after a former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov warned that the country was facing “a crisis of governance” and needed to hold a wartime presidential election. Ukrainian media reports suggested that her house was being searched by officials investigating an alleged money-laundering scheme. No official reason was given for Mudra’s sacking

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Who is Iryna Mudra?

Iryna Mudra is a Ukrainian lawyer, banker and former senior government official who served as Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine under Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She holds a master’s degree and PhD in law from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and began her career in banking and corporate law, working with institutions including Transbank, Swedbank and Pravex Bank. She later joined state-owned Oschadbank, where she headed compliance and international disputes and helped secure a $1.3 billion arbitration award against Russia over losses in Crimea. In May 2022, Mudra entered government as Deputy Minister of Justice, where she played a key role in Ukraine’s international legal response to Russia’s invasion, including efforts to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression, implement sanctions and create a mechanism for compensation using frozen Russian assets. On March 29, 2024, she was appointed Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, where her responsibilities included international justice, Ukraine’s ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and judicial reform. On August 19, 2026, Zelenskyy dismissed her amid a major anti-corruption investigation by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).

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Iryna Mudra's exit and corruption allegations on Zelensky

Critics are linking Mudra's ouster with Fedorov’s call for polls. Fedorov pointed at widespread corruption under Zelensky and said that the president had failed to get a grip. “Corruption is only a symptom. The main problem runs much deeper. We have a systemic crisis of governance,” Fedorov had said in a nine-minute video address released on social media this week. ”Can Russia effectively be given the right to dictate when Ukrainians can choose their government again? I am convinced that the answer is no,” Fedorov added. Zelensky has been facing a major protest in the country after he removed Fedorov from his post in July. According to reports, Fedorov is considering visiting the US in an apparent effort to win American support against the Ukrainian president. Zelensky has been continuing despite his term's expiry in spring 2024 as Ukraine's constitution prohibits election during wartime. US president Donald Trump has also called for Ukraine to hold elections.