Ukrainian Correspondent Ostap Yarysh Fired Following Review by Elon Musk's DOGE Department

Ostap Yarysh, the Ukrainian correspondent for “Voice of America” in the U.S., has been fired following a review by Elon Musk’s DOGE  department. The decision was announced by Natalia Lygachova, editor-in-chief and head of the NGO “Detector Media,” on March 7.

“Ostap Yarysh has been fired from the Ukrainian service of the Voice of America. During an inspection by the DOGE department. This is only the first wave of dismissals,” Lygachova wrote.

In February, Elon Musk called for the closure of “Voice of America” and “Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty,” which are funded by the U.S. government. He described them as “radical left-wing” organizations that “burn $1 billion of American taxpayer money every year.”

The New York Times previously reported that the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America, had opened an investigation into journalists who had criticized President Donald Trump’s policies.

Steve Herman, a senior journalist at Voice of America, was placed on extended leave as part of the investigation. He confirmed to the New York Times that he had received a letter stating the inquiry was focused on whether his “social media activity has undermined VoA’s audiences’ perceptions of the objectivity and/or credibility of VoA and its news operations.”

Anonymous sources also told the NYT that in recent months, VoA had either withheld or softened coverage critical of the president and his administration.

Earlier it was reported that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia, including banking restrictions and new tariffs, until a ceasefire and peace agreement with Ukraine are reached.