FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S., Olha Stefanishyna, holds a briefing on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo

Former Ukraine ambassador to US accused of illegal enrichment

· The Straits Times

KYIV, Aug 6 - Olha Stefanishyna, dismissed as Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. earlier this week, is suspected of illegal enrichment and failing to declare assets, authorities said on Thursday, the latest high-ranking official targeted in an anti-graft probe.

Prosecutors said Stefanishyna, who served as a deputy prime minister before being appointed ambassador, concealed two apartments and other assets worth about $310,000 in total that could not have been acquired on her official salary alone.

Authorities did not identify Stefanishyna by name, in line with Ukrainian law, but referred to the position she held when the alleged offences took place, from early 2024 to mid-2025.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, she denied wrongdoing and said she has never had anything to hide.

Her dismissal comes amid a recent shake-up of senior officials, including the prime minister and defence minister, that has unsettled Ukraine's political establishment.

Stefanishyna was dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier this week after submitting her resignation. REUTERS