Anna Dorosh joins Lyashko’s team: the Ministry of Health’s appointment has sparked a wave of criticism
Minister Anna Dorosh announced her appointment in a statement on her social media accounts.
ThePublic contacted her for comment regarding the appointment, the selection process, her duties and her response to criticism, but had not received a reply at the time of publication.
What caused the controversy
Anna Dorosh announced that she was embarking on a new professional chapter in the protocol department of Ukraine’s Minister of Health, Viktor Lyashko.
Under normal circumstances, such a personnel announcement might have remained an internal matter for the ministry. But this time, it was her age that proved the main sticking point: at the age of 20, Dorosh announced she would be working in a role involving protocol support for the minister.
On social media, people began asking the questions that inevitably arise in such stories: what experience does such a young official have, what procedure was followed to bring her into the minister’s team, and who made the appointment decision.
Ministerial protocol is a field involving official meetings, international visits, the minister’s schedule, communication with delegations, and adherence to state protocol during public events. It is precisely for this reason that the appointment of a 20-year-old official to such a role has become the subject of public criticism.
What the declaration reveals
In the 2025 declaration, Anna Dorosh is listed as the chief specialist of the expert group on the Green Deal, the environment and climate change at the Government Office for the Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
The post belonged to the ‘B’ category of the civil service and was not classified as a position with a high level of corruption risk.
The declaration also states that Dorosh’s registered place of residence is Chernivtsi, whilst her actual place of residence is Kyiv. In terms of property, she declares the rental of a 29.9 sq m flat in Kyiv. According to the declaration, the right of use was acquired on 21 January 2025.
The owner of the flat is listed as Viktor Zavadskyi, and the value on the date the right was acquired is stated as ‘unknown’.
The declaration does not mention any real estate owned by her, construction in progress, vehicles, securities, corporate rights or legal entities where Dorosh would be the ultimate beneficial owner.
Salary and gifts
For 2025, Dorosh declared a salary of 340,757 UAH from the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, 3,762 UAH from the Department of Socio-Economic Development and Strategic Planning of the Chernivtsi City Council, and 115,361 UAH from the Economic and Financial Department of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
The declaration also includes 2,349 UAH in national cashback from the “Made in Ukraine” scheme.
The declaration also lists monetary gifts separately: 348,887 UAH from Nataliia Dorosh, 100,632 UAH from Volodymyr Dorosh and 23,214 UAH from Andrii Severgin. In total, this amounts to 472,733 UAH in gifts over the year.
In the public debate, this adds another layer of questions: not only about age and experience, but also about the financial and family context of a rapid entry into the central executive hierarchy.
Career path: Chernivtsi – Cabinet of Ministers – Ministry of Health
The declaration data reveals a rather rapid career path. First – working or standing for election to positions within the Chernivtsi City Council, then – the Cabinet Secretariat and the Government Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, and now – the protocol of the Minister of Health.
Rapid career progression in itself is not a violation. But when it comes to a 20-year-old official working alongside the minister, the public interest is quite clear: what were the requirements for the post, who assessed the candidate, was there a competition, and why was she specifically chosen?
Dorosh’s father and her background
Anna Dorosh’s father, Volodymyr Dorosh, is also mentioned in the public debate.
According to public registers, Volodymyr Illich Dorosh is an authorised representative of the charitable organisation “Charitable Foundation ‘Volunteer Headquarters for the Defence of Ukraine’”. Volodymyr Dorosh and Inna Dorosh are also listed among the founders or members of this organisation.
In 2020, local media reported that volunteer Volodymyr Dorosh had become an advisor to the then-head of the Chernivtsi Regional State Administration, Serhiy Osachuk, on a voluntary basis.
This family context does not prove a link to Anna Dorosh’s appointment at the Ministry of Health. But it explains why the story so quickly became political. When a young official joins the minister’s team, and her father has a prominent history of voluntary and political work in the region, questions about nepotism arise without any prompting.
The conflict surrounding Volodymyr Dorosh
Volodymyr Dorosh was also involved in a public conflict in Chernivtsi.
In April 2025, “Suspilne Chernivtsi” reported that the police had taken the head of the “Volunteer Headquarters for the Defence of Ukraine” fund from the Chernivtsi City Council building to the city’s TCC after checking his military registration documents.
According to the publication, Dorosh had come to the city council to speak at a session regarding the preservation of the premises for the foundation’s work.
The following day, “Suspilne”, citing a representative of the regional recruitment centre, reported that Dorosh had been deemed fit for military service and handed a summons. According to the publication, he refused to sign it, after which he fell ill and was taken away by emergency medical staff.
These incidents are not directly related to the Ministry of Health’s staffing decision. However, they have become part of the reputational backdrop that is now frequently cited in the debate surrounding Anna Dorosh.
What remains unanswered
The main thing missing from this story so far is an official explanation of the procedure.
It is unknown through what mechanism Anna Dorosh was brought into the minister’s protocol team: via a competition, transfer, appointment, contract or some other form.
Nor has it been publicly explained exactly what duties she will perform, whether this involves a managerial role within the protocol department, and who made the final decision.
A separate question is whether the Ministry of Health assessed the potential reputational risks of such an appointment, given Dorosh’s age, experience, declaration data and family background.
ThePublic contacted Anna Dorosh for comment, asking about her appointment, the selection process, her duties, experience, asset declarations and her response to the criticism. At the time of publication, the editorial team had not received a reply.
Why this story matters
The story of Anna Dorosh has attracted attention primarily because of her age. Being 20 years old is not a bar to public service, but it is a natural cause for questions when a person finds themselves in the official entourage of a minister.
The issue here is not that young people cannot work in the civil service. The issue is this: what criteria were applied, what experience was deemed sufficient, and was the appointment procedure transparent to the public?
In a country where the authorities are constantly being called upon to demonstrate transparency, meritocracy and integrity, such personnel decisions without explanation are always met with scepticism. Especially when issues of asset declarations, rapid career progression and family reputation are added to the mix.
While there are no official answers yet, social media is filling the information vacuum.
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