The court ordered Mudra to remain in custody, setting bail at 20 million hryvnia
The Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court did not change the pretrial measure for Iryna Mudra, the former deputy head of the Office of the President. She remains in custody but may be released from pretrial detention after posting 20 million hryvnias in bail. The defense requested that the amount be reduced to 5 million hryvnias, but the court denied this motion.
The Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court upheld the ruling regarding Iryna Mudra, who is suspected of money laundering and the illegal appropriation of real estate and corporate assets. Thus, Mudra remains in custody with an alternative bail of 20 million hryvnias. “The panel of judges ruled to dismiss the appeals. The ruling of the investigating judges shall remain unchanged,” the operative part of the court’s decision states. Mudra participated in the hearing online. The proceedings were streamed on the YouTube channel of the High Anti-Corruption Court’s Appeals Chamber.
The defense requested a reduction in bail
The defense filed the appeal. The attorneys requested that the court review its decision and reduce the bail from 20 million to 5 million hryvnias. The defense insisted that Mudra’s financial situation allegedly allows her to post no more than 5 million hryvnias. During the hearing, the attorneys also asked the court to review the information regarding her assets.
However, the court rejected this motion. For now, Mudra remains in pretrial detention. According to the court, the 20 million hryvnia bail was never posted following the High Anti-Corruption Court’s decision on August 25. That is why an alternative preventive measure was not applied, and the suspect remains in custody.
Why Mudra Is in Custody
On August 25, the High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a preventive measure on Mudra in the form of pretrial detention with the possibility of release on bail of 20 million hryvnias. The prosecutor had requested a significantly higher amount—150 million hryvnias.
During the preliminary hearing, Mudra stated that she would try to find the money to post bail. However, the required amount was not transferred to the High Anti-Corruption Court’s account within a week. The case is linked to two separate operations by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO)—“Forest Gump” and “Themis.”
What Is “Forest Gump”?
On August 19, NABU and the SAPO released a video about the “Forest Gump” special operation. According to law enforcement officials, the case involves a scheme to launder 150 million hryvnias, which could have been used to post bail for one of the defendants in another case—“Midas.” NABU stated that the group involved in this scheme included high-ranking officials, specifically the deputy head of the Office of the President and a former member of parliament.
On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree dismissing Iryna Mudra from her position as deputy head of the Office of the President. According to NABU, the cash may have passed through the accounts of shell companies. Thus, according to investigators, attempts were made to bring the funds into legal circulation. “We’re talking about 150 million hryvnias in cash, which, through a series of accounts belonging to shell companies, was introduced into legal circulation to pay bail for one of the members of another criminal organization (the ‘Midas’ case),” NABU reported.
What Is the “Themis” Case About?
On August 20, NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) released another video—this time as part of Operation “Themis.” Law enforcement officials announced a possible illegal seizure of real estate and corporate assets. According to investigators, this may have involved the use of forged documents, court rulings, and interference with the Ministry of Justice’s information systems.
Iryna Mudra also appears in this episode. According to NABU, in the fall of 2025, members of an alleged criminal organization may have taken control of two companies. The value of their assets is estimated at 248 million hryvnias. At the same time, according to the bureau, the goal of seizing one of the companies was to gain control over real estate in central Kyiv. Law enforcement officials estimate its value at over 500 million hryvnias.
Another incident dates back to May 2026. According to the investigation, members of the group attempted to take control of real estate in Kyiv and other assets with a total value of over 207 million hryvnias. However, according to NABU, they were unable to carry out this crime due to circumstances beyond their control.
NABU also released recordings of conversations
Audio recordings of conversations between the suspects drew particular attention in the case files. According to NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), the participants discussed, among other things, the possibility of obtaining information from various law enforcement agencies. Among other things, they discussed NABU, the SAP, the National Police, the SBU, and the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR).
The recordings also include conversations about how to influence the anti-corruption system. NABU and the SAP later explained that, according to the investigation, the group’s activities may have been aimed not only at misappropriating property but also at laundering funds obtained through criminal means.
Law enforcement officials notified the suspects of charges under articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine pertaining to the creation of and participation in a criminal organization, misappropriation of property, obstruction of lawful economic activity, money laundering, forgery of documents, and interference with information systems.
What’s Next
Currently, the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court has upheld the decision to keep Mudra in custody with bail set at 20 million hryvnias. This means she will remain in pretrial detention in the near future unless bail is posted. If the required 20 million hryvnia is paid, Mudra’s future status will be determined by the conditions of the preventive measure set by the court.
At the same time, the mere existence of suspicion does not imply a finding of guilt. Final conclusions regarding Mudra’s involvement in the alleged offenses must be made by the court after considering the case on its merits. The investigation is currently ongoing, and the courts will review the evidence gathered by NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
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