Key facts
- Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's former ambassador to the U.S., has been charged by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Stefanishyna from her post on August 3.
- The charges are linked to alleged corruption at the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA).
- Companies linked to Stefanishyna's former husband reportedly received contracts to manage assets seized by ARMA.
- Stefanishyna faced a separate embezzlement charge in 2019.
Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's former ambassador to the United States, has been charged by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) in a case related to alleged corruption at the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA). The High Anti-Corruption Court is currently considering pre-trial restrictions for Stefanishyna.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Stefanishyna from her ambassadorial post on August 3. Speculation about her departure had been ongoing since a government reshuffle began in mid-July, with Stefanishyna citing personal reasons for her decision to resign. Prior to the announcement of charges, Stefanishyna was under investigation by NABU concerning allegations that companies connected to her former husband received contracts to manage assets seized by ARMA. Ukrainian media reported in 2025 that these companies had obtained management rights over several properties, including the Trade Unions Building in Kyiv.
Stefanishyna had also faced a separate embezzlement charge in 2019. She previously stated that she was prepared to return to Ukraine to address the allegations if necessary, describing the scrutiny as a normal process and asserting that the matter was unrelated to her official duties. She had also confirmed in 2020 that she was a suspect in a case tied to former justice minister Olena Lukash, though she did not admit guilt.
Her dismissal is part of a broader government reshuffle initiated by President Zelensky in mid-July, which included changes to the Cabinet of Ministers and law enforcement agencies. The parliament approved a new government led by Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky on July 16. Zelensky had appointed Stefanishyna as ambassador to Washington in August 2025, replacing Oksana Markarova. Stefanishyna had previously served as deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and as justice minister.