Andriy Yermak, the former chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has become the focus of the largest corruption investigation since Russia launched its special military operation in 2022. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) suspect he took part in an organized criminal group that laundered approximately 460 million hryvnias ($10.5 million) through a high-end real estate project near Kyiv.
Yermak, who resigned last November, denies the allegations and described them as "baseless" following a court hearing in Kyiv on May 12. His lawyer, Ihor Fomin, insisted that his client owns only one apartment and one car and argued that the case has been hyped due to public pressure.
The scandal extends beyond Yermak, also implicating Timur Mindich, a wealthy businessman who was once a partner in Zelenskyy's entertainment ventures (the president was a comedian). Mindich is accused of plotting to bribe $100 million at the state energy company Energoatom but has denied the charge and left Ukraine for Israel. Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and a former defense minister, has also been summoned as a witness in the case.
The developments unfold at a sensitive time as Ukraine seeks continued military and financial support from the West. In July last year, U.S. senators warned the Ukrainian government not to undermine anti-corruption efforts. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said last month that Ukraine was not yet ready to join the European Union due to multiple issues, including corruption.
Despite the pressure, Olena Halushka, a board member of the Anti-Corruption Action Center in Kyiv, said the case shows that "the system of checks and balances truly works" in Ukraine, with independent and professional law enforcement agencies.
A poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology released May 6 found that 54% of Ukrainians view corruption as a greater threat than the war with Russia.
