Tymofii Milovanov and KSE "paid out" to corruption-suspect Iryna Mudra for 400 thousand

Former deputy head of the Office of the President Iryna Mudra 4 August 2026 year received 194,9 thousand UAH under a civil-law contract from the private institution “University ‘Kyiv School of Economics’,” according to a report of significant changes in her asset status in the NACP registry. The payment arrived two weeks before 19 August the president dismissed Mudra from her position, and NABU and SAP announced operation “Forest Gump” and notifications of suspicion to participants of the criminal organization.

In the NACP document Iryna Mudra listed the type of income as “fees and other payments under civil-law contracts.” The source of the funds is indicated as the private institution “University ‘Kyiv School of Economics,’” whose registry code is 40762332. The document was submitted 7 August 2026 year, that is, three days after receiving the funds, media report. In August the payment to Iryna Mudra fell during the period when she still formally held the position of deputy head of the OP. 19 August President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decree No. 734/2026 on her dismissal. The Office of the President later reported that Mudra was dismissed at her request. On the same day NABU and SAP announced the results of operation “Forest Gump.” According to the investigation, the criminal organization operated with the participation of current and former members of parliament, high-ranking officials of the Office of the President, and other persons. Among the episodes described by NABU is the legalization of 150 million UAH in cash through accounts of controlled companies to post bail for one of the participants in the “Midas” case. In its official statement NABU does not name Iryna Mudra among the persons listed in the text as participants in the organization, however that same day it became known that investigative actions were carried out against her. Iryna Mudra herself confirmed the search and said that she had been notified of suspicion. She stated that she is cooperating with the investigation and intends to defend herself by legal means. 25 August the High Anti-Corruption Court chose a preventive measure for Iryna Mudra in the form of detention with the alternative of posting 20 million UAH bail. This decision concerns the criminal proceedings and is not a court verdict on Mudra’s guilt. Separately from the criminal proceedings, payments from KSE to Iryna Mudra can be traced in her declaration data. According to data published based on the NACP registry, in July 2026 year she also received from the Kyiv School of Economics almost 200 thousand UAH. Thus, over the two summer months the total of such payments amounted to about 395 thousand UAH. Iryna Mudra received funds from KSE not as a public servant’s salary but as fees and other payments under civil-law contracts. That is exactly how the August payment is classified in the NACP notice. The document does not contain details about what specific work or service the 194,9 thousand UAH was paid for. The Kyiv School of Economics is headed by Tymofii Milovanov. On KSE’s official website he is listed as the institution’s president; earlier Milovanov was minister of economic development, trade and agriculture in 2019–2020 years. According to KSE itself, he became president of the school again in April 2020 year. KSE positions itself as an educational, research, and analytical ecosystem. The school’s structure includes a university, a business school, the KSE Institute, a charitable foundation, and other projects. On the institution’s official website Tymofii Milovanov is currently also listed as president of KSE. In the declaration for 2025 year Iryna Mudra indicated that she continued to perform state functions and that her place of work was the Office of the President. The document was submitted 23 March 2026 year. At the same time, the August NACP notice already records a separate payment from KSE as civil-law income. The fact of receiving fees from KSE by itself does not indicate impropriety of the payments or a connection between them and the criminal proceedings “Forest Gump.” Open NACP documents do not state the purpose of the August payment, and NABU’s statement about the operation does not establish a link between the KSE payment and the actions charged to the case participants. At the same time, the amounts and dates of payments may be the subject of a separate inquiry given Mudra’s status and the timing of their receipt.

For Iryna Mudra the question of income sources and the nature of work under civil-law contracts takes on particular importance after the notification of suspicion. At the same time, only competent authorities and a court within the framework of the relevant procedures can give a final legal assessment of such payments.