Zelensky’s Ex-Chief of Staff Named as Suspect in Major Corruption Probe

Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities have formally charged Andriy Yermak, the former head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, with money laundering as part of a sweeping investigation into high-level graft, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced on May 11.

Yermak, who resigned in November 2025 and was once considered the second most powerful person in Ukraine after the president, is accused of participating in an organized criminal group that laundered 460 million hryvnias, approximately 10.47 million U.S. dollars, through an elite residential construction project near Kyiv. The suspicion was filed under Part 3 of Article 209 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which carries a potential sentence of eight to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The charges stem from a broader anti-corruption operation codenamed Midas, which has uncovered an alleged kickback scheme at Energoatom, the state nuclear energy company. Investigators say members of the criminal organization laundered state funds through luxury real estate investments. The probe has previously touched other Zelensky associates, including entrepreneur Timur Mindich and former deputy prime minister Oleksiy Chenyshov.

Speaking to journalists in Kyiv on Monday, Yermak denied owning any luxury properties. “When the investigation is over, I will give comments. I have no mansions, I have only a flat and a car that you see,” he said, while declining further comment on the specific allegations.

Ukrainian law prohibits anti-corruption agencies from naming suspects publicly, but local media including Interfax-Ukraine and RBC-Ukraine widely identified Yermak as the former official in question. The SAPO confirmed in a Telegram statement that urgent investigative measures are underway.

Yermak’s resignation last November came on the same day that NABU searched his office, following months of mounting pressure over the Energoatom scandal. At the time, President Zelensky thanked Yermak for his work but said he had to let him go “to avoid any speculations.” Zelensky has not publicly commented on the latest charges against his former chief of staff and longtime ally.

Presidential communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn urged caution, saying it was premature to draw conclusions while the investigation proceeds. “Investigation is still ongoing, so it is too early to make any assessments,” Lytvyn told journalists via a WhatsApp message.

The case has sent shockwaves through Kyiv’s political establishment at a sensitive moment in Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia. Yermak had served as Zelensky’s lead negotiator in U.S.-backed peace talks and was widely seen as wielding outsize influence across Ukrainian politics despite holding an unelected position.