Olha Stefanishyna was still processing her abrupt dismissal as Ukraine’s ambassador to the US when a second shock followed. On 5 August, she received official notice that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and SAPO had marked her as a suspect in a corruption case.
The High Anti-Corruption Court in Kyiv held a hearing on the matter the same day. The investigation focuses on financial discrepancies in Stefanishyna’s official declarations. She is accused of failing to report two apartments, cash used for renovations, and travel expenses. A car registered to a former subordinate is also part of the inquiry.
Stefanishyna, who once held the top diplomatic post in Washington, denied wrongdoing in a Facebook statement. She called the investigation “calm and lawful” and said the burden of proof lay with the accusers. She added that she had already provided journalists with documentation about the apartment in question.
Her removal by President Zelenskyy came in a decree dated 3 August. The presidential order gave no cause for the dismissal, but analysts had speculated about a corruption probe since a sudden government reshuffle began in mid-July. Stefanishyna cited “personal reasons” for stepping down, though many saw her exit as a setup for the reshuffle.
The reshuffle, which saw the sacking of ex-prime minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, was widely linked to Stefanishyna’s planned departure. Svyrydenko had been expected to replace her in Washington before being dismissed herself.