Former Zelensky spokeswoman says Ukrainians are weary of wartime messaging

Yulia Mendel, who previously served as a spokeswoman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has said that Ukrainians have grown tired of what she described as public relations efforts built around the war, according to comments reported by Russian state media.

Mendel reportedly also said that Ukrainians are frustrated over how Western financial aid has been managed, alleging mismanagement without providing additional detail in the reported remarks.

The comments, carried by Russia's TASS news agency, come from a figure who once held a senior communications role within Zelensky's administration before her departure from that position. Her remarks are being used to support a narrative critical of Ukraine's wartime leadership and its relationship with Western backers.

It is worth noting that such claims, circulated through Russian state media, should be considered in the context of the broader information environment surrounding the war, in which both Russian and Ukrainian authorities and affiliated commentators have made competing claims about public sentiment and the conduct of the conflict.

Neither Zelensky's office nor other Ukrainian officials were quoted responding to Mendel's specific remarks in the reported account. The comments add to an ongoing exchange of narratives about morale and governance in Ukraine as the war continues.