Former Ukraine ambassador to US accused of illegal enrichment


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

KYIV, Aug 6 (Reuters) - ⁠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.

(Reporting by Dan Peleschuk. Editing by Mark Potter)

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