Fresh Ukraine corruption probe adds to pressure on Zelenskyy ahead of key vote – Europe live

Meanwhile, for all the noise and controversy around it, the Ukrainian parliament has just approved Zelenskyy’s nominations for foreign and defence ministers.

Andrii Sybiha and Yevhen Khmara were both approved by the lawmakers just minutes ago.

Zelenskyy quickly responded to the vote on social media:

“I am grateful to the MPs for supporting Andrii Sybiha for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Yevhenii Khmara for the position of Minister of Defence of Ukraine.

The tasks for both ministers are absolutely clear: Ukraine needs more strength. And it will have it. Glory to Ukraine!”

President ⁠Volodmyr Zelenskyy dismissed deputy ⁠head ⁠of the ​presidential office Iryna ⁠Mudra on Wednesday, according to ⁠the decree ​published ‌on ‌the presidential website.

There was ‌no reason given for the dismissal.

There is no official confirmation of the link, but… earlier today Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said they had uncovered a group suspected of money laundering, which it said included a senior presidential official (۱۰:۰۶, ۱۱:۲۵).

A second suspect accused of taking part ⁠in the ۲۰۲۲ Nord Stream gas pipeline blasts has been arrested in Croatia and ⁠will be ⁠extradited ​to Germany, German prosecutors said in a statement reported by Reuters.

In its statement, the federal prosecutors’ office identified the Ukrainian ⁠national only as Vladimir Z., adding he was arrested in the seafront Croatian city of ⁠Pula by local police forces who acted on a European ​arrest warrant.

Prosecutors had ‌brought criminal charges ‌in July against another Ukrainian, former army officer Serhii K., ‌for involvement in the blasts, accusing him of acting on behalf of Ukrainian state entities.

In their statement, prosecutors said trained scuba diver Vladimir Z. was part of a group led by Serhii K. that planted ‌explosives on the Nord Stream ۱ and Nord Stream ۲ gas pipelines near the Danish island ​of Bornholm.

Meanwhile, Estonia is investigating whether Russia was involved in an arson ⁠attack on a building housing a defence contractor, said the prime minister, Kristen Michal.

The building used by Milrem Robotics, a maker of unmanned military weapons systems ⁠deployed in Ukraine and elsewhere, was targeted late on Friday.

“The ⁠suspects have been identified. One of the lines of investigation ​is a possible ‌act of sabotage ‌and the involvement of Russia,” said Michal.

The Russian embassy in Tallinn did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

More in our daily Ukraine war briefing here:

We are also getting a bit more detail on that anticorruption investigation.

The two anti-corruption agencies said they had uncovered ⁠a ⁠group including ​a presidential official that had ⁠laundered ۱۵۰ million hryvnias ($۳.۳۵m) used to ⁠pay for bail ​in ‌an energy ‌corruption scheme, Reuters reported.

The Nabu ‌and Sapo agencies said in a YouTube video the group comprised a deputy ‌head of the presidential office, a ​former lawmaker, heads of the management and supervisory boards of ⁠a state-owned bank and ​others, the agency said.

They ​did not ​name the individuals, ​in ‌accordance with Ukrainian ​law.

President Zelenskyy responded this morning to the overnight attack on a bus in Kherson, calling it a “vicious Russian safari against our people.”

“Four people were killed and five others were wounded. All necessary services are at the scene, investigating the details,” he said.

But Zelenskyy said “what is absolutely clear is that the bus was civilian.”

“These are the realities of everyday life in Ukraine’s frontline regions. While partners hesitate over additional supplies of defence equipment, the Russians have long run wild. Pressure on the aggressor is needed. Support for those defending life is needed.”

Meanwhile, ⁠Russian forces ⁠have ⁠struck a cargo ​vessel in ⁠the Black Sea ⁠near ​Ukrainian ‌port ‌of Odesa, Reuters reported via Russian ‌news agency Interfax, citing the defence ministry.

The ​vessel was carrying ⁠a military ​cargo, the ​ministry ​said.

‘No clear understanding’ on how to safely conduct election in wartime Ukraine

Dan Sabbagh

Defence and security editor

Artem Bronzhukov, a Ukrainian political analyst, questioned whether it would be practical to hold elections given that Russian bombing was continuing.

“Today there is no clear understanding of how to ensure people’s safety in the context of a full-scale war.”

There was, he added, “a fairly deep-rooted view within Ukrainian society” that elections are necessary but only after the hot phase of the war ends – and that the country remained “a warring democracy – confirmed precisely by the protests taking place after Fedorov’s resignation from the government”.

Polling conducted at the turn of the month reported the ex-minister would come third in the first round of a presidential election with ۱۳.۱%, behind Zelenskyy on ۲۲.۳% and the former head of the armed forces, who is now Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, on ۲۱.۴%.

The same polling, conducted by the Socis Centre for Social Research, also concluded that Zelenskyy would then be defeated in the run-off election by both Fedorov and Zaluzhnyi. Ukraine uses a two-stage voting system.

If Ukraine were to hold an election, it would have to contend with the fact that millions have been exiled and displaced since the start of the war, and that more than ۱ million are serving in the armed forces, many on the frontline. About a fifth of the country’s territory is also under Russian occupation.

Morning opening: Fresh corruption probes add to Zelenskyy’s problems ahead of key vote

Jakub Krupa

Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies opened an investigation into unnamed lawmakers and presidential advisers just hours before a key vote in parliament, adding to pressure on president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Nabu and Sapo agencies released no further details, Reuters noted, but their announcement comes just hours before the Ukrainian parliament is due to vote on a new defence minister, Yevhen Khmara, appointed after Zelenskyy sacked his popular predecessor, Mykhailo Fedorov.

On Tuesday night, Fedorov called for a wartime presidential election in the most direct political challenge to Zelenskyy since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in ۲۰۲۲.

As our defence and security editor Dan Sabbagh reported,

“The politician, whose abrupt sacking last month triggered a wave of protests, said that Ukraine had to “restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war” in a video address released online late on Tuesday evening.

“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state,” Fedorov said in his nine-minute speech.”

Overnight, at least four people died in Russian attacks on Ukraine, after a drone hit a bus in the southern city of Kherson.

Ukraine, meanwhile, sent hundreds of drones towards targets in Russia, with Moscow claiming it downed ۴۵۳ of them.

I will also keep an eye on the latest in Belgium, as the firefighting operation against the largest wildfire in the country’s recent history appears to be nearing an end.

It’s Wednesday, ۱۹ August ۲۰۲۶, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.

Good morning.