Andriy Yermak, Former Zelensky Aide, Faces Kyiv Court in Money-Laundering Probe
Andriy Yermak, previously a close confidant and chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky, faced a Kyiv court on Tuesday after being implicated by Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies in a money-laundering investigation. The allegations centre on a £7.5 million luxury construction project outside Kyiv.
Yermak’s lawyer dismissed the accusations as “baseless”, while Yermak himself stated, “I do not have any house, I only have one flat and one car,” prior to the hearing. He led Ukraine’s discussions with the USA until his resignation last November following an anti-corruption raid on his flat.
The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office (Sapo) requested the Kyiv court either place Yermak in preventive detention or set bail at approximately $4 million. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) head clarified that President Zelensky is not a subject of this pre-trial inquiry.
Yermak’s entanglement in the investigation follows a broader probe by Sapo and Nabu into an alleged £74 million embezzlement within Ukraine’s nuclear energy sector. Although not formally charged then, these persistent allegations complicate Ukraine’s aspirations for European Union membership. Last year, Zelensky had to revoke legislation that threatened the independence of the anti-corruption bodies, following substantial public and EU criticism.
The “Dynasty” elite housing project, located near Kyiv, is reportedly at the heart of the latest claims, where millions in construction funds were allegedly laundered. The anti-corruption bureau has released part of a wiretapped conversation, identifying six additional suspects. Former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov has been charged with abuse of office in connection with Operation Midas, while businessman Timur Mindich, a former associate of Zelensky, reportedly left the country after being flagged as a suspect. Ex-Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko was detained attempting to depart Ukraine.
Concurrently, Russia ended a three-day ceasefire, launching over 200 drones that killed at least one person in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite suggesting the war was “coming to an end” over the weekend, confirmed Russia would deploy a new Sarmat nuclear missile by late 2026, alongside ongoing work on other nuclear-powered weapons systems.
