--- title: "Ukraine anti-corruption raids target Zelensky aide and MPs in 'Forest Gump' operation" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ukraine-anti-corruption-raids-target-zelensky-aide-and-mps-in-forest-gump-operat" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ukraine-anti-corruption-raids-target-zelensky-aide-and-mps-in-forest-gump-operat" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ukraine-anti-corruption-raids-target-zelensky-aide-and-mps-in-forest-gump-operat.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ukraine-anti-corruption-raids-target-zelensky-aide-and-mps-in-forest-gump-operat" category: "Politics" area: "Ukraine" published: "2026-08-19T10:46:00.182Z" source_reported: "2026-08-19T08:59:21.000Z" updated: "2026-08-19T11:45:56.159Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 55 hype_score: 25 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-19T11:24:17.768Z" --- # Ukraine anti-corruption raids target Zelensky aide and MPs in 'Forest Gump' operation *NABU and SAP search homes of Iryna Mudra, Vadim Stolar and others amid ministerial vote* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports corroborate key facts; digests agree on central claims. - Craft 55 of 100, higher is better. Quotes and named figures present; some digests lack context. - Hype 25 of 100, lower is better. Headlines use dramatic phrasing but body remains factual. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office conducted raids on 19 August 2026 as part of 'Operation Forest Gump'. - Iryna Mudra, deputy head of the Presidential Office, and former MP Vadim Stolar were among those searched. Both confirmed the raids. - The operation coincides with a parliamentary vote on new defence and foreign ministers. NABU and SAP published wiretap excerpts naming likely defendants. - None of the centre- or right-rated outlets in the sample below reported the story. On 19 August 2026 Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) announced a special operation to expose a criminal organisation. The operation, named 'Forest Gump', involved searches at the homes and offices of current and former members of parliament, officials from the Presidential Office, and figures linked to the Ministry of Justice and Sense Bank. Iryna Mudra, deputy head of the Presidential Office, was among those searched. Mudra, appointed in March 2024, previously served as deputy justice minister and led Ukraine’s legal strategy on frozen Russian assets and war reparations. Vadim Stolar, a former MP from the banned Opposition Platform, For Life party, confirmed on Facebook that NABU conducted searches at his home. He stated he was cooperating with investigators. NABU and SAP published excerpts of wiretaps and named likely defendants, including MPs and high-ranking officials. The operation took place during a parliamentary session to vote on new defence and foreign ministers, part of a government reshuffle initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre- or right-rated outlets in the sample below reported the story. The left-rated digests did not mention the document NABU and SAP found during the searches, described by *Glavcom* as containing a "plan of anti-crisis communication regarding the activities of the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada". ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (6) - Centre: 33% (3) - Right: 0% (0) 7 of 16 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-19T11:24:17.768Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 4 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-19T11:45:56.159Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The five left-rated digests led on the raids targeting Iryna Mudra and Vadim Stolar. *Il Fatto Quotidiano* reported that the operation reached "fin dentro l’Ufficio presidenziale di Volodymyr Zelensky" and named Mudra’s role in managing Ukraine’s legal strategy on frozen Russian assets. The outlet also linked the raids to the broader political context, including protests over the dismissal of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov. - Meduza and *Zeit Online* both noted the timing of the raids, which coincided with the parliamentary vote on new ministerial appointments. *Zeit Online* described the operation as "new unrest" in Ukraine. *unn.ua* and *censor.net* focused on the confirmation of searches by Stolar and the involvement of current and former MPs. - The only full report from the left, *Il Fatto Quotidiano*, quoted NABU and SAP’s description of the group as a "organizzazione criminale" and detailed Mudra’s career in finance and law before her political appointment. The report also mentioned the banned Opposition Platform, For Life party, from which Stolar was elected. ### Centre - The three centre-rated outlets led on the anti-corruption raids conducted by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). All named the operation "Forest Gump" and identified two key figures: Iryna Mudra, deputy head of the Presidential Office, and lawmaker Vadym Stolar. Digi 24 reported that Mudra was dismissed by President Zelensky on the day of the raids. - Digi 24’s report included details from NABU, stating the suspects were accused of laundering 150 million hryvnia (3.4 million dollars) linked to a separate corruption case. It also mentioned the discovery of a crisis communication plan related to a parliamentary inquiry. Neither El Confidencial nor Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija carried these specifics in their digests. - None of the centre-rated digests mentioned the involvement of a former lawmaker or the alleged role of a state bank’s executives, though Digi 24’s full report named Sense Bank and its leadership as part of the investigation. The digests did not include quotes from Ukrainian officials or independent sources. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 6 - unknown: 8 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [El Confidencial](https://elconfidencial.com/mundo/2026-08-19/agencias-anticorrupcion-ucrania-operativo-diputados-gabinete-zelenski_4408253) — Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Agencies Launch an Operation Against Deputies and Senior Cabinet Officials in Zelenski - [Digi 24](https://digi24.ro/stiri/externe/operatiunea-forest-gump-perchezitii-la-parlamentari-si-oficiali-din-administratia-lui-zelenski-ce-urmaresc-anchetatorii-3912399) — Operation "Forest Gump: Searches of Parliamentarians and Officials in Zelenski's Administration. What Are the Investigators Following? - [Domani](https://editorialedomani.it/politica/mondo/ucraina-lanticorruzione-indaga-su-una-rete-criminale-che-coinvolgerebbe-anche-lo-staff-di-zelensky-wtbm81a6) — The Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Investigates a Criminal Network that Would Also Involve Zelensky's Staff - [時事ドットコム](https://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng_agt?g=adnkronos&k=20260819KRONOS-202608121157554833_eng) — Ukraine, searches in homes of Zelensky's staff and a deputy - JIJI PRESSUkraine, searches in homes of Zelensky's staff and a deputy - [Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija](https://lrt.lt/ru/novosti/17/3026196/v-ukraine-provodiat-obyski-u-deputatov-i-chinovnikov) — In Ukraine, There Are Searches of Deputies and Officials - [Zeit Online](https://zeit.de/politik/ausland/2026-08/ukraine-verteidigungsminister-mychajlo-fedorow-jewhenij-chmara-antikorruption) — Ukraine: Searches of Ukrainian Deputies and Advisers to Selenskyi - [Meduza](https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/08/19/ukrainian-anti-corruption-authorities-raid-homes-of-lawmakers-officials-among-them-iryna-mudra-deputy-head-of-the-president-s-office) — Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities raid homes of lawmakers, officials. Among them — Iryna Mudra, deputy head of the President’s Office. - [unn.ua](https://unn.ua/news/operatsiia-forest-hamp-shcho-vidomo-narazi) — Operation Forest Gump - What Is Known so Far - [Unknown](https://glavcom.ua/country/criminal/operatsija-forest-hamp-nardep-stolar-zajaviv-pro-slidchi-diji-nabu-u-noho-vdoma-1137529.html) — Operation “Forest Gump”. People's Deputy Stolar Announced NABU's Investigative Actions at His Home - [censor.net](https://censor.net/ua/news/4019092/stolar-pidtverdyv-obshuky-nabu-ta-sap-u-yiogo-budynku) — I'm Taking Care of the Bureau's Representatives, the "Forrest Gump" Stolar. - [5 канал](https://5.ua/suspilstvo/masshtabni-obshuky-nabu-i-sap-slidchi-dii-prokhodiat-u-stolara-mykytasia-ta-zastupnytsi-kerivnyka-op-mudroi-381855.html) — Large-Scale Searches of NABU and S Investigative Actions Take Place in Stolar, Mikitsya and Deputy Head of OP Mudroya - [Česká televize](https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/svet/ukrajinske-protikorupcni-urady-vysetruji-poslance-a-cleny-prezidentske-kancelare-376734) — Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Authorities Investigate MPs and Members of the Presidential Office - [Unknown](https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1194249.html) — MP Honcharenko reports searches at Mudra's, Zhelezniak reports searches at MP Stolar's - [babel.ua](https://babel.ua/news/129466-operaciya-forest-gamp-pravoohoronci-opublikuvali-fragmenti-proslushok-a-media-nazvali-imena-ymovirnih-figurantiv-sered-deputativ-ta-op) — Operation “Forest Gump”. NABU Published Excerpts of Wiretaps, and Media Named Names of Likely Defendants Among Deputies and OP (Supplemented) - [Il Fatto Quotidiano](https://ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/08/19/corruzione-ucraina-mudra-zelensky-notizie/8482323) — Ukraine Corruption, Searched Iryna Mudra Deputy Chief Office Zelensky - [Unknown](https://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/politics/nabu-i-sap-provodyat-slidchi-diji-u-zastupnici-kerivnika-op-mudroji-ta-deputata-stolara-zmi-50633891.html) — Special Operation of NABU: Deputy Head of OP Mudroya and People's Deputy Stolar Are Being Searched ## Questions **Who was searched in the 'Forest Gump' operation?** Iryna Mudra, deputy head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, and former MP Vadim Stolar were among those searched. NABU and SAP also targeted current and former MPs, officials from the Presidential Office, and figures linked to the Ministry of Justice and Sense Bank. Both Mudra and Stolar confirmed the raids. **What did NABU and SAP find during the searches?** NABU and SAP published excerpts of wiretaps and named likely defendants in the case. *Glavcom* reported that investigators found a document outlining a plan for anti-crisis communication regarding a parliamentary investigative commission. The full contents of the document have not been disclosed. **Why did the raids happen during a parliamentary vote?** The raids coincided with a parliamentary session to vote on new defence and foreign ministers, part of a government reshuffle. Left-rated outlets, including *Il Fatto Quotidiano* and *Zeit Online*, noted the timing but did not establish a direct link between the two events. **Which outlets reported the story?** Five left-rated outlets carried digests of the story, and two left-rated outlets published full reports. No centre- or right-rated outlets in the sample below reported the raids. The left-rated reports emphasised the involvement of Zelensky’s office and the political context of the operation. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/ukraine-anti-corruption-raids-target-zelensky-aide-and-mps-in-forest-gump-operat. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Ukraine anti-corruption raids target Zelensky aide and MPs in 'Forest Gump' operation", https://mediabias.news/politics/ukraine-anti-corruption-raids-target-zelensky-aide-and-mps-in-forest-gump-operat