Former Ukrainian PM accused of bribing politicians with US dollars to weaken Zelenskyy's government

A erstwhile Ukrainian premier curate has been accused of plotting to bribe politicians with stacks of U.S. dollars successful a strategy aimed astatine weakening President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government, a erstwhile governmental advisor has claimed.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (UNACB) archetypal confirmed Jan. 13 it uncovered an alleged effort by the person of an unnamed parliamentary faction to connection amerciable benefits to lawmakers, according to Reuters.

Video released by UNACB showed stacks of U.S. dollars seized during overnight searches earlier this week, including footage of a pistillate successful the bureau sitting down a desk. Authorities did not publically place the suspect.

According to the Kyiv Post, published recordings allegedly amusement that 3 lawmakers were offered $10,000 per period successful speech for their votes, with the lawsuit linked by immoderate to Yulia Tymoshenko, a seasoned politician, erstwhile premier minister, and existent person of the Batkivshchyna party.

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Yulia Tymoshenko accused of bribing lawmakers to weaken Zelenskyy. (REUTERS/Andrii Nesterenko)

Former Zelenskyy property caput Yuliia Mendel told Fox News Digital the currency allegedly belonged to Tymoshenko and was intended to wage lawmakers to ballot against the president’s legislative proposals.

"In Ukraine, specified transactions are usually discussed successful U.S. dollars, arsenic you tin spot from the instrumentality enforcement reports," Mendel, a erstwhile governmental advisor said.

"The U.S. dollars shown successful that video were allegedly hers that she was expected to usage to wage radical to ballot against Zelenskyy’s legislative proposals. She said it was her idiosyncratic savings," Mendel added.

Mendel said the sums shown successful the footage appeared comparatively modest, "about $40,000," she said, noting different corruption cases successful Ukraine person progressive "much larger sums, sometimes millions of dollars."

The raid connected Tymoshenko’s enactment bureau reportedly lasted astir each night. "Officers arrived successful the evening and remained successful her bureau for astir the full night," Mendel said.

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Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine's president, during Coalition of the Willing gathering successful London, U.K., connected Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Investigators allege respective lawmakers — reportedly including members of Zelenskyy’s ain faction — approached Tymoshenko, starring to discussions astir regular monthly payments successful speech for coordinated voting.

Despite reportedly being served with a announcement of suspicion, Tymoshenko besides addressed parliament this week, calling the lawsuit "political persecution against me."

"The alleged ‘urgent investigative actions’ that lasted each nighttime ended astatine the Batkivshchyna enactment office. These ‘urgent investigative actions’ person thing to bash with instrumentality and order," Tymoshenko besides wrote connected Facebook.

According to Mendel, the extremity was not to onslaught Zelenskyy personally but to fracture the ruling mono-majority successful parliament.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the Ukrainian Parliament successful Kyiv, Ukraine connected December 28, 2022. Zelenskiyy announced that they regained power of much than 1800 settlements captured by Russian forces successful the Russia-Ukraine war.  ((Photo by Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images))

"Ukraine’s strategy is simply a parliamentary-presidential republic, meaning the legislature plays a cardinal relation successful governance. When the president controls a mono-majority, authorities tin walk quickly," Mendel said.

"Breaking that bulk would importantly weaken Zelenskyy’s legislative authority," Mendel explained.

Tymoshenko, a cardinal fig successful the 2004 Orange Revolution and Ukraine’s archetypal pistillate premier minister, has faced ineligible occupation before.

In 2011, she was jailed implicit a state woody with Russia successful a lawsuit wide viewed arsenic politically motivated, earlier being released successful 2014. She is expected to look earlier Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court.

"Corruption is 1 of the cardinal reasons we are losing this war. It severely damages Ukraine’s representation connected the planetary stage," Mendel warned.

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"By 2024, corruption had reached specified a standard that Ukrainians chose an highly unsafe and achy way — exposing it publically successful bid to combat it," Mendel added.

"Now, cases similar this bring the contented backmost into the spotlight. Corruption volition destruct Ukraine."

Fox News Digital has reached retired to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s bureau for comment.