Zelensky has 'questions to answer' about corruption in his government, sacked minister says

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Ukraine’s recently sacked defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, has publicly urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to address questions over corruption in his administration. In an interview from Kyiv, Fedorov said a money-laundering investigation announced last week had revived concerns about whether the president knew about possible wrongdoing within his inner circle. He said he had no evidence Zelensky was personally corrupt, but argued the president should answer the public’s concerns.

The article says Fedorov was dismissed last month after a reported falling-out with Ukraine’s armed forces leadership. He had been a prominent figure in government, first as digital transformation minister and later as defence minister, and is credited with helping modernise the military and expand drone warfare. According to BBC reporting, his comments came as anti-corruption authorities said they had uncovered a scheme involving more than $3m in misappropriated funds, and a senior official in the president’s office was removed.

Fedorov also renewed his call for elections in Ukraine, saying democratic debate should continue even under martial law, which has suspended elections since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. He stopped short of declaring political ambitions, though he did not rule out a future presidential run. The BBC notes that his remarks add to pressure on Zelensky at a sensitive moment for the wartime government and come amid ongoing debate over corruption, military procurement and political reform.