Ukrainian officials on Monday lashed out at a comedy show that targeted the former central bank chief by joking about a recent arson attack on her home.
Kvartal 95 is arguably the country's most beloved comedy show and was led by Volodymyr Zelenskiy before he was elected president in April this year.
On Sunday, it released a song recorded in collaborationwith a famed choir and based on a popular folk tune that went: "A house was burning, up in flames, a woman was weeping in London."
"Kvartal 95 is associated with the government, and jokes against Gontareva could be perceived as a confirmation that the government is linked to the oligarchs."
"I apologise to Valeria Gontareva." Kvartal 95 in a statement stood by its skit, saying that it "makes fun of the issues that society is concerned about."
"Our humour is our main weapon, and as long as our weapon is sharpened, we will be doing our job with pride."