{
  "id": 2749456,
  "title": "Zelensky has 'questions to answer' about corruption in his government, sacked minister says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/zelensky-has-questions-to-answer-about-corruption-in-his-government-2749456",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-23T08:02:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC World",
    "slug": "bbc-world",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy4ypzvd7po?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faces questions regarding corruption within his government, according to his recently sacked defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov. Fedorov, who was responsible for modernising Ukraine's armed forces and pioneering drone warfare, was dismissed last month following a reported falling out with the head of Ukraine's armed forces. He informed the BBC that a recent money laundering investigation has raised concerns about Zelensky's awareness of potential corruption within his inner circle. Fedorov also reiterated his belief that \"democracy should not be the hostage of Putin,\" but did not explicitly declare his political ambitions after posting a video advocating for Ukrainian elections.\n\nFedorov, who has been protesting outside of the Kyiv government buildings weekly since his dismissal, stated that he does not miss his old job due to the constant stress of managing Ukraine's war with Russia and transforming its defence ministry. He emphasized that, despite the suspension of elections due to Ukraine's martial law, he has a \"moral right\" to initiate a conversation about political reform. Fedorov argued that the Ukrainian people cannot continue living in a state of ignorance about decision-making processes, emphasizing the importance of democracy in this context. If elections are not held, he stated, \"we are no longer a democracy.\"\n\nThe allegations of corruption were further fueled by the recent announcement of a money laundering investigation into lawmakers and bankers, which uncovered a scheme to misappropriate over $3 million of Ukrainian currency to pay bail for a former energy minister accused of money laundering. A senior official within Zelensky's office linked to the investigation was subsequently fired. Fedorov emphasized the need for transparency, stating that the president must answer whether he was aware of the corruption or not, adding that he does not want to make assumptions about the president's knowledge of these matters.",
  "summary": "The sacked former defence minister has also called for elections to be held in Ukraine.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Zelensky has 'questions to answer' about corruption in his government, sacked minister says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/zelensky-has-questions-to-answer-about-corruption-in-his-government",
        "published": "2026-08-23T08:02:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}