On Thursday (August 6) Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ordered former ambassador to the United States Olha Stefanishyna to post bail of Hr 6 million (around $130,000) after she was formally charged in a corruption investigation. Prosecutors accuse the former deputy prime minister of illicit enrichment worth Hr 13.9 million ($310,000) and submitting false asset declarations. They had requested bail of Hr 13 million.
According to Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), Stefanishyna failed to disclose two apartments valued at nearly Hr 11 million that were registered in the name of a friend. Investigators also allege she omitted renovation costs, payments for her mother’s medical treatment, airline tickets, the rental of another apartment, and the use of a Mercedes-Benz GLC 220 d registered to an associate.
NABU said Stefanishyna regularly used assets formally owned by people close to her, including property and commercial premises in an upscale residential complex in Kyiv. Prosecutors further argue that her spending significantly exceeded her declared income and savings. Between early 2024 and mid-2025, Stefanishyna officially earned about Hr 3.7 million, while roughly Hr 4.2 million was spent from her bank accounts during the same period. Investigators also claim she negotiated the purchase of a house outside Kyiv worth approximately $550,000 before abandoning the deal after being appointed ambassador to Washington.
Prosecutors additionally alleged that Stefanishyna attempted to influence the 2024 selection process for the head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP). Citing correspondence attributed to her, they said she instructed members of the selection panel to downgrade candidate Oleksandr Skomarov while supporting eventual winner Viktor Pavlushchyk, who has faced criticism from anti-corruption activists over his independence. Pavlushchyk has denied those accusations.
Stefanishyna rejected the allegations in a Facebook statement, stressing that investigative measures “do not amount to a finding of guilt.” She said she had already provided journalists with documentation regarding the questioned real estate and added that “the burden of proving allegations lies with those who make them,” pledging to defend her position through legal channels.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Stefanishyna as ambassador to the United States on Monday (August 3) after she requested to leave the post, citing personal reasons. Her departure followed a wider government reshuffle and came as Ukraine seeks continued U.S. military support, including additional Patriot air defense systems. Before serving as ambassador, Stefanishyna was deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration from 2020 to 2025 and also held the justice minister portfolio. She had previously faced a separate embezzlement case in 2019.
Source: commonspace.eu with La Dépêche du Midi (Toulouse), Euronews (Brussels) and Kyiv Independent (Kyiv).
