KYIV – Iuilia Mendel was Ukrainian President Zelenskiy’s press secreteary from 2019 to 2021, when she left her position under a suspicious cloud of rumor and innuendo as to the reason behind her departure.

In June 2019, shortly after Zelenskyy’s election, she won a competitive selection (from thousands of applicants) to become his press secretary and spokesperson—a role she held until July 2021. She had a front-row seat to major events: Zelenskyy’s meetings with world leaders (including Putin), front-line visits in Donbas, handling the fallout from the Trump-Zelenskyy phone call that led to Trump’s first impeachment, and efforts to reform Ukraine’s post-Soviet institutions toward European democracy. She described the job as intense, with long hours and high stakes, and resigned voluntarily, citing health, pace, and personal goals (though some media speculated on tensions).

Yesterday, she posted comments on her Facebook page about Zelenskiy’s close advisor Andriy Yermak, accusing him of being involved with ‘dark arts’ magic, and ‘draining water from corpses’ in the cemetary, and importing magicians into Ukraine.

This post has electrified Ukrainian internet discussion and political circles. Her X account is @IuliiaMendel; however, the original post was on Facebook.

Yermak was pushed out of office several months ago, and is alleged to be President Zelenskiy’s homosexual lover.