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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The former press secretary of the President of Ukraine, Yulia Mendel, made an “epic” return to the information space from a multi-year winter hibernation in 2026 year with a portion of revelations about her former boss Andriy Yermak.
She accused him of using occult practices as a means of state governance and stated that this factor could influence the negotiation process to end the war and other extremely important issues.
Those statements caused a lot of noise at the time, but were quickly forgotten. The outcome of that story was a conclusion about Mendel's own adequacy and the professionalism of the people who had hired her for an important position and kept her there evidently for 2 years longer than was necessary.
But it was naive to think that Yulia Mendel's willingness to spread blatant nonsense and shame herself before a wide audience would not be exploited by others. A new hunter of cooked facts turned out to be the famous talk show Tucker Carlson. A former Trump fan and current fan of Putin and Iranian ayatollahs invited Mendel to his program to prompt her with leading questions to allegedly confirm all the fakes about her former employers, including President Zelensky.
Then Mendel decided to shame herself to the end. The new “bottom” was an invitation from the pro-Russian ultra-right Force party Alternative für Deutschland for a session exposing the "goldres of Kyiv regime". This became the last straw for Mendel's former employers – 13 September 2026 year she came under sanctions. At the same time she should have been investigated long ago for her statements. However, this has not happened yet.
24 The channel recalls a strange but very illustrative story of Yulia Mendel.
Who is Yulia Mendel and how did she get into the Presidential Office (OP)
Yulia Mendel is a Ukrainian journalist and publicist, and now a writer and blogger. She graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv with a degree in philology and later defended a dissertation there as well. She does not have a formal journalistic education, but this is not a major obstacle and is not considered a faux pas.
Interestingly, about her doctoral experience she later wrote an exposé article in which she admitted that she obtained her diploma for a bribe of 200 dollars. She subsequently sued her scientific supervisor over this (successfully).
Yulia began her career on television, worked in front of the camera (reporter) and behind the scenes (editor) at well-known and popular channels – ICTV and Esperto TV, was a correspondent for the Ukrainian channel 112 in the USA and a journalist of the international desk on Inter.
Parallelly, Yulia wrote as a freelancer for renowned Western publications The New York Times, Politico Europe and others. She studied and interned at prestigious international programs, including at Yale University.
Yulia Mendel and Volodymyr Zelensky / Photo from Mendel's Instagram page.
This is indeed a worthy resume, at least on paper. Perhaps it was this that became the decisive argument for appointing Yulia Mendel as press secretary to the inexperienced President Zelensky, elected in 2019 on the wave of overwhelming emotional expectations.
There are questions about the competition for the post and its transparency. For a long time the favorite was the current editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda, Sevgibel Musayeva, but among 4 000, Mendel's résumé was chosen instead of hers.
The post of the President's press secretary is a challenging one and may even be considered “cursed.” Not everyone can handle it. And here it should be said that Mendel did not cope with the task almost immediately. More precisely – she failed it.
Inability to choose clothes and lack of taste were the smallest of her problems, since style is not an exact science and even recognized experts cannot be considered infallible.
Mendel's trouble was that she immediately found herself at the center of scandals and rumors, and her attacks on journalists, inappropriate pomp (which even Aristyukh would envy) and the inability to establish normal communication became the standard of how not to do it.
Legendary photos of Yulia Mendel with Volodymyr Zelensky / Screenshot from Mendel's Facebook page.
While working as Zelensky's press secretary, Mendel did not refuse journalism, but the tone of her articles changed—from exposing problems and vices of Ukrainian society to “inspirational” texts about how everything is already good and will be even better.
You did not push anyone, Yulya? – Volodymyr Zelensky teases Yulia Mendel and the media during a big briefing 1 October 2019 year, playing on the scandal about pushing journalists.
At some point there were so many scandals and attempts to extinguish them that Mendel was removed from her post and replaced by a more tactful Serhiy Nykyforov, who remains in this post to this day.
Yulia Mendel – heroine of socialite chronicle: watch the video.
Immediately after her dismissal Mendel tried to monetize her success and quickly wrote an autobiography about her experience working in the Office. The book titled Every One of Us Is the President was not a sensational hit, but drew the attention of Mendel's fan club.
She was criticized for superficiality, “licking” the president, exaggerating her own role in political processes, disrespect for the Revolution of Dignity, manipulation, and bias. And most importantly – she was uninteresting and frankly weak.
Mendel's literary debut missteps she tried to correct in her second book – the English-language The Fight of Our Lives 2022 year. It turned out better; the book already received decent reviews abroad.
Mendel's attack on Yermak
The Ukrainians again remembered Yulia Mendel at the end of 2025 year when she unexpectedly burst onto the air of Vlasti Lazur on Radio Liberty to talk about her former boss – Andriy Yermak. It was he who dismissed Mendel in spring 2021 and started her career as a writer.
"Roasting" Yermak by Mendel: watch the video
Nowadays Yermak himself was dismissed and left public service, unclear and cursed by everyone. Mendel, who used to owe him nothing, added a strong media kick to her boss.
The interview in a format of “unveiling the veil” went viral, but not because Yermak is such a villain, but because of Mendel's manner of speaking and the disconnect between her words and the high position she held for a short time.
Mendel's December success apparently was not enough, so she decided to finish off Yermak and finally spoil his announced plan to go to the front.
That same post by Mendel:
31 January 2026 on her Facebook page she gave a powerful analysis of the occult practices of the Office of the President and personally Andriy Yermak.
Ms. Mendel said that Yermak is a practitioner of black magic, believes in supernatural forces and, while head of the Office of the President (or, as Steve Vitkoff calls him – the Vice President of Ukraine), actively involved foreign wizards from Israel, Georgia and “some Latin American country” to conduct magical rituals, as a result of which he made very important political decisions:
...Yermak could work with professionals in politics and economics, read books and develop his skills as a politician/official. Instead, he tried to block or use the energies of other people as he imagined. I would not be surprised if most statistics were also distorted under his leadership… I understand that in politics you can't win with brains alone. But not with them either.
Also Mendel stated that Yermak is not the only one in Ukrainian politics prone to magical thinking, but she literally confirmed next that she herself practices it, but from the right side, namely the “bright side”:
Today, when the country sits without heat, light, and basic needs, we can all only laugh at this magical "policy" if one has the power. However, I will say that in Ukrainian politics Yermak is far from the only one who practices magical rituals… Andriy, when you read this, think that any of your decisions and actions will now be reflected back to you. And God is stronger. He was. Is. And always will be. One should have chosen the bright side from the very beginning.
Interestingly, Mendel's aforementioned book had a completely different view of Yermak.
Mendel's January statements 2026 contrast strongly with how she praised Yermak in her own book / Photo from the accuser's Facebook.
Here is what she wrote about Andriy Yermak and his predecessor Andriy Bohdan:
If you could see the two Andriys who led the Office of the President together, it would be a sight not for the faint-hearted. Bohdan, upon seeing Yermak, turned into a crude buffoon who shouted proposals incompatible with logic. Yermak remained silent, behaving like a noble aristocrat, only occasionally reacting to the madness of the namesake.
Or another:
It is hard to imagine a more devoted person to set goals and more original approaches. Sometimes in trips he (Yermak, – 24 Channel) sacrificed sleep, thinking about how to fix the situation, and found the most unexpected and correct solutions… In addition, Yermak was the sole member of the team who truly worked to become an experienced diplomat.
Now, however, the original approaches from the one who tirelessly works to become an experienced diplomat turned out to be a ‘cringe,’ and Yermak, according to Mendel, is a “person without brains.”
What is wrong with Mendel
With this post, Yulia once again went all-in – in a short time she had more than 1 600 likes, more than 700 comments, and as many shares. The post sparked a large discussion in expert circles and provoked many memes in social networks.
Perhaps the best was the pun "Andriy the Witcher," playing on the surname of the former head of Zelensky's patronage service and the iconic fantasy hero from Andrzej Sapkowski's novels.
People laughed at both Yermak and Mendel. Some mentioned a bunch of bracelets and various charms that Yermak wore on his wrists, even at important international meetings. Some wondered about the unknown “minister” who ran to Mendel to tell scary news about her boss.
Andriy Yermak and the strange bracelets that became his “signature” and gave rise to rumors / Photo from the Office of the President.
Some speculated that it could have been former Minister of Culture Volodymyr Borodiansky, who before his short-term stint in the government worked in television and, as head of the STB channel, was involved in the show The Battle of the Psychics. And then as minister he publicly defended that show and justified its enormous public value with the help of the police.
Some chose to skip jokes and note that Mendel hinted in social networks that Ukraine bears responsibility for civilians' suffering due to Russian shelling, because, you see, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shell Russia.
Stories come from acquaintances, relatives, and friends. Social networks explode with tales of life at subzero temperatures without electricity, sometimes without heating or water. Our leadership continues to blame Putin and the West for insufficient missile supplies and constantly confirms new strikes deep inside Russia, which have no close impact like what was felt in Ukraine… Many people ask whether this strategy of transferring the war onto Russia justifies the suffering the Ukrainian nation endures,
– Yulia Mendel provides analysis in the English-language thread on the social network X.
Blogger Denys Kazansky analyzes Mendel's manipulations:
Are Mendel's accusations true? If briefly – we do not know. Yermak himself is silent, he even stopped his popular Telegram channel and no longer posts with emojis. Neither Mendel nor a journalist who allegedly saw Yermak at a graveyard talking about something strange and unimpressive has stepped forward. No one else tells scary stories about Yermak, not even a member of parliament, but only hype without fervor.
We, essentially, had enough of revelations and insider info from anonymous sources about Yermak in the media that appeared in recent months. Adding magic to this only spoils it. On the other hand, no one would be surprised if this indeed happens.
Remember RUN-Vira, AllatRa, the “Embassy of God” of the time of Kyiv mayor Chernovetsky, the cult of pastor Muntyan and other adherents of charismatic sects. Do not forget about the network of space-contacters under the leadership of Dmytro Gordon and his legendary pyramids.
Indeed, many Ukrainian politicians genuinely believe in witches, wizards, molfars, and shamans, and some of them pay huge money for it. We remember the clairvoyants of President Yushchenko's wife, the patriarchs of Yanukovych, etc.
And they are not far from their voters, who still sincerely believe in Tarot cards, consult with Veronica Feng Shui and boost the ratings of the already mentioned Battle of the Psychics.
Therefore, if Yermak or someone else in the Office of the President did gather water from corpses, burn herbs, and make voodoo dolls – that is exactly the advertisement that all this does not work. Well, or he used all those liquids and amulets incorrectly. Such things have no place at the Bank Street. We hope the successor of Yermak will draw conclusions.
There are many examples of magical thinking in the modern world; we will not list them all to avoid offending believers. We will tell more about this in a separate material. But let us remind you that even famous politicians of the past sinned in this.
Yes, the Portuguese dictator Antonio Salazar believed in horoscopes and kept a dedicated person on his staff who gave him the“correct schedules.” He also had an astrologer president in the United States, Ronald Reagan, who got close to her after an assassination attempt, when he remained miraculously alive. About Rasputin and occult practices of the Third Reich you can learn from any advanced YouTube user, and many years have been laughing at Putin’s bathe in bath with deer antler extracts. Yet no one knows for sure whether this was true, but looking at the leader of the Russians and his madness, it’s easy to believe even in this.
Why did Mendel come to Tucker Carlson?
In May 2026 Mendel again reminded of herself. As the author of the book Every One of Us Is the President, she became a guest on Tucker Carlson's show, the American blogger known for his pro-Putin stance and his love for Russian bread, and who is disillusioned with Trump and calls his election as president a great mistake.
Mendel and Carlson in a wooden house resembling a Baba Yaga hut, washing the bones of Zelensky / Screenshot.
Although Mendel was fired in 2021 year, she unloaded many “insights” about the time of the full-scale Russian invasion on Carlson, and he, as a more experienced media person, pulled from her all his fakes and stereotypes about Ukrainian authorities and the Ukrainian resistance.
What Mendel told the blogger Carlson:
Zelensky was ready to give up the entire Donbas in exchange for peace in 2022, verbatim: “Zelensky personally agreed to hand over Donbas”;
She herself did not see it, but someone told her that Zelensky once used drugs;
In 2019 year Zelensky personally promised Putin that Ukraine would never join NATO.
At the end of the show Mendel diverted from Carlson and spoke to Putin in Russian. She stated that she hides the truth about war crimes by Russian troops in her native Kherson region and, with tears in her eyes, urged the dictator to stop drone strikes on civilians “with one decree.” Mendel also noted that “there are no winners in this war,” because “Slavs kill Slavs.”
Cover of Mendel's interview / Screenshot.
Current employees of the Office of the President advised not to pay attention to Mendel's words, while her former colleague Dmytro Lytvyn in theOP press service WhatsApp chat informed that “This lady… has long been not herself.” Given her statements, believing such a diagnosis is very easy.
Mendel under sanctions.
Of course, Yulia Mendel did not stop there. She continued to write pro-Russian nonsense and look for new missteps in the Ukrainian “authorities.” It must be admitted that in recent corruption scandals she was actively aided in this.
The Ukrainians have long understood who Yulia Mendel is, so her statements gradually turned into “white noise.” But not for foreigners. For those it is hard to imagine the path the former journalist has taken, and therefore her posts about interviews, unfortunately, can have an impact in the West.
And anti-Ukrainian forces actively use Mendel to discredit Ukraine.
16 September in Strasbourg will host the event “Ukraine: Dare to Peace. Diplomacy Instead of Escalation.” It is organized by MEP from the ultra-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Hans Nojhoff. He traveled in 2025 year to Russia at the invitation of openly exposed traitor Viktor Medvedchuk. The headlining star of the event will be Yulia Mendel.
Mendel's appearance advertising AfD, a party currently experiencing peak popularity amid regional election successes and actively promoting Germany's refusal to aid Ukraine (remember, Germany is the main financial donor to Ukrainian resistance). Thus, Mendel will participate in an event whose goal is to discredit Ukraine in Europe.
This became the last drop for the Ukrainian authorities – 13 September 2026 year Mendel was placed on sanctions lists. At the same time, she has not been charged with treason, although she clearly has long been suspected.
This material was first published in February 2026 and updated in May of the same year – after Tucker Carlson's show, in which Yulia Mendel took part.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Хто така Юлія Мендель, як потрапила в Офіс Президента, чому звинувачує Єрмака в чаклунстві та Зеленського – у всьому іншому". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
