Zelensky explains Mudra's dismissal: "there was enough detail to fire her on the very first day"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a meeting with journalists, commented in detail for the first time on the dismissal of Iryna Mudra, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, which took place immediately after the searches carried out by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). According to him, at the time the decision was made, he already had enough information to react on the very first day.

Decision made on the very first day

"What I knew was enough to react on the very first day of this case — right after the searches. There was enough detail to fire her," Zelensky stated. He clarified that, like everyone else, he had heard talk of "certain actions — real or potential," but in his view it would be inappropriate to discuss them now. The President added that what had been said was enough to dismiss the deputy and one other person in the department, and that any additional information, should it emerge, would be addressed separately.

Rotations should not be an end in themselves

In response to questions about personnel reshuffles, Zelensky emphasized that rotations should not become an end in themselves. "You can make some kind of rotation every day. But it is not always the case that there is someone to swap with," he explained, thereby indicating that personnel decisions are made on the merits, not according to a formal schedule.

Independence of the law enforcement system

The President stated that the law enforcement and anti-corruption systems must work independently. "What is there for me to comment on here? We must react. They take certain steps — we react to those steps. If it is a minister and there is a reason to fire him — then fire him," he said. At the same time, Zelensky noted that if it concerns "unexplained matters," one should wait for additional details and a court verdict.

"Zero questions" to the President

Zelensky emphasized that the heads of the anti-corruption bodies have no questions for him. "They perfectly understand that I am not involved in anything like that. And that is important to me," he stated, thereby distancing himself from the investigation, which involves structures of the Presidential Office under his authority.

Context: the special operation of August 19

As a reminder, on August 19 NABU and SAPO announced a special operation to expose a criminal organization involving officials of the Presidential Office. On that same day, Iryna Mudra was dismissed from her position as Deputy Head of the Presidential Office. Thus, the personnel decision coincided in time with the investigative actions, as the President himself later confirmed.