Washington (CNN) Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie "Masha" Yovanovitch -- a highly respected career diplomat who unwittingly became one of the central figures in the impeachment drama -- has retired from the State Department.

Yovanovitch leaves after more than three decades in the foreign service. She was described as "someone who has never been hungry for the spotlight," by one former State Department official.

It is unclear when exactly Yovanovitch retired, but the official said it was sometime in the last two weeks. She had most recently been serving as a senior State Department fellow at Georgetown University.

She was removed from her post as the US ambassador in Kiev in May 2019 after a targeted campaign against her led by allies of President Donald Trump.

NPR was the first to report on Yovanovitch's retirement. The State Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

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