Zelensky fires aide after anti-corruption raids

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired deputy chief of staff Iryna Mudra on Wednesday after the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine said it was raiding the homes of a senior official from the president's office and a sitting member of parliament.

The anti-corruption agency did not name Mudra. It said the investigation was linked to allegations of money laundering over a multimillion-dollar bail payment for a suspect in a major corruption case brought last year.

The dismissal came a day after ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for Ukraine to start preparing for wartime elections and criticised alleged widespread corruption.

Elections are suspended under martial law imposed after Russia's invasion in February 2022. Zelensky has said he is open to new presidential elections but that they cannot be held while the country is fighting, with territory occupied by Russia and millions of Ukrainians abroad.

Zelensky has dismissed Fedorov and the commander-in-chief in recent weeks. Fedorov's removal triggered major street protests, and late last year Zelensky's top aide Andriy Yermak resigned after being linked to a $100 million graft probe into the energy sector.