Zelenskyy of Ukraine is under pressure to be more accountable due to a corruption issue.

Thirteen people were killed and countless more were injured in an Israeli attack on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, according to state media and the Lebanese Health Ministry. This is Lebanon's worst attack since the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire expired a year ago.

KYIV, Ukraine — Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, is under increasing pressure to demonstrate accountability in the face of a corruption scandal that poses the biggest danger to his administration since Russia's full-scale invasion.

Following the discovery by government investigators that $100 million had been embezzled from the nation's energy industry through contractor kickbacks, Zelenskyy fired two senior officials and sanctioned close colleagues last week.

However, the political maelstrom hasn't subsided as a result. The public is not pleased with corruption in the energy industry after more than three years of conflict, during which time Ukrainians frequently experience power outages due to Russia's heavy shelling. There are increasing calls for Zelenskyy to fire Andrii Yermak, his longtime chief of staff, who is regarded by many as the de facto vice president of Ukraine.

The people in charge of the corruption probe have not charged Zelenskyy or Yermak with any crimes. However, Zelenskyy's political rivals and supporters who fear the scandal may undermine their legislative governing coalition argue that more senior officials must be held responsible in order to rebuild public confidence.

Although Zelenskyy's tenure legally expired in May 2024, he has continued to rule without holding elections, claiming that they are not possible while Russia occupies a fifth of the nation

According to his detractors, it's also critical to increase trust with Ukraine's Western partners, whose backing is essential to the military effort and ultimately to peace talks.

The chairwoman of parliament's anti-corruption committee, Anastasia Radina, posted on Facebook on Wednesday, saying, "It's really hard to imagine that all this is happening at the behest of people from the outside without political support." Zelenskyy is "provoking an even greater internal crisis" by continuing to have contact with Yermak, she claimed.

Since attaining independence, corruption has plagued the nation, and Zelenskyy was elected with the goal of eradicating corruption.

The president has not decided to fire Yermak, according to two Zelenskyy administration officials. Since they were not permitted to brief journalists, the officials talked under the condition of anonymity.