{
  "id": 2116225,
  "title": "Zelenskyy fires a top aide amid a graft probe as Ukraine’s ex-defense minister demands elections",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/zelenskyy-fires-a-top-aide-amid-a-graft-probe-as-ukraines-ex-defense",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T10:36:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Chronicle Ghana",
    "slug": "the-chronicle-ghana",
    "url": "https://thechronicle.com.gh/zelenskyy-fires-a-top-aide-amid-a-graft-probe-as-ukraines-ex-defense-minister-demands-elections/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Iryna Mudra, the deputy head of the Presidential Office, on Wednesday amid a money-laundering investigation. The probe, conducted by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau, named Mudra as one of several suspects in a case involving the alleged laundering of 150 million hryvnias ($3.4 million) to bail a defendant in a major corruption case last year. The case, linked to the state-owned nuclear power company, resulted in the resignations of the justice and energy ministers last year. Although Mudra was not directly implicated, the investigation has put Zelenskyy, who has not been named as a suspect in any of the ongoing corruption probes, into another political crisis. Ukraine's recently fired Defense Minister, who had demanded national elections, was not implicated in the graft investigation but has called for fresh polls, despite the ongoing Russian invasion that began over four years ago. Zelenskyy cannot hold a ballot under wartime laws, according to his own statements. The investigation has implicated a former lawmaker, the chairperson of a state bank's board, the head of the bank's supervisory board, and a deputy head of the Presidential Office, although Mudra is not among the named suspects. Zelenskyy has maintained his stance that a national election is not permissible during wartime.",
  "summary": "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired one of his most senior officials Wednesday as corruption investigators named a deputy head of the presidential office among the suspects in a money-laundering case. The stunning developments came a day after Ukraine’s recently fired defense minister demanded national elections, despite Russia’s more than 4-year-old invasion. Zelenskyy has maintained…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Times",
        "title": "Russian strikes kill 16 in Ukraine, Zelenskyy says lack of Patriots costs lives",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/russian-strikes-kill-16-in-ukraine-zelenskyy-says-lack-of-patriots",
        "published": "2026-08-20T11:13:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}