Zelensky dismisses Ukraine's ambassador to US Stefanishyna
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Editor's note: This story is being updated.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Olha Stefanishyna from her post as Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., according to a decree published on the presidential website on Aug. 3.
The move comes amid a major government reshuffle and an expected broader rotation of Ukraine's ambassadors.
Speculation that Stefanishyna could leave her post has persisted since the government's surprise reshuffle began in mid-July. One person close to Stefanishyna told the Kyiv Independent that she had decided to leave the post "at her own request."
Another source familiar with the reshuffle said, however, that plans to overhaul the government predated Stefanishyna's decision.
Zelensky had initially planned to appoint recently dismissed Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko as Ukraine's ambassador to Washington. But she declined the offer, dealing an unexpected blow to the presidential administration's plans.
Stefanyshina’s departure also comes amid speculation that she could face criminal charges.
She has been investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau in connection with alleged irregularities involving the Asset Recovery and Management Agency, although she has not been formally charged.
Ukrainian media previously reported that companies linked to her former husband had received contracts to manage seized assets. She was also charged in a separate embezzlement case in 2019.
Zelensky didn't provide a reason for Stefanishyna's dismissal and has yet to announce her successor.
