May 12, 2026
Ukrainian authorities name Zelenskyy's ex-chief of staffZelenskyy's ex-chief of staff suspect in money-laundering probe
On May 11-12, 2026, in Kyiv, Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies named President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's former chief of staff as a suspect in a major money-laundering investigation involving construction projects.
The move comes amid Russia's ongoing invasion now in its fifth year and shortly after a US-brokered ceasefire ended without a lasting peace deal.
It tests Zelenskyy's leadership and could strain Western support for Ukraine's war effort.
- Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, boasts the Saint Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO site built in 1037 with stunning mosaics surviving multiple invasions.
- Ukraine produces over 80% of the world's sunflower oil, a key export strained by the war's disruptions.
- Zelenskyy's 2019 landslide victory ended decades of post-Soviet political dominance by established parties.
Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Violations
Russian forces continue striking Ukrainian regions like Kherson and Mykolaiv, wounding civilians including teenagers despite a US-brokered three-day truce from May 9 to 11 that both sides confirmed.
