Zelenskyy's ex-chief of staff Yermak named suspect in major corruption probe
Primary region Europe
Tags Corruption · Justice · Diplomacy
Regions Europe
Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's former chief of staff and lead US negotiator, was named by NABU and SAPO as a suspect in a €9 million ($10.5 million) money-laundering scheme linked to a luxury property development near Kyiv. Six other individuals were also notified as suspects. Yermak, who resigned in November 2025 after anti-corruption raids on his flat, denied the allegations as 'baseless.' The probe has cast a shadow over Ukraine's EU accession bid, though Zelenskyy himself has not been implicated.
Strategic interpretation
The targeting of Zelenskyy's closest wartime adviser undermines Ukraine's credibility in EU accession talks and gives ammunition to critics who question Kyiv's reform commitments. However, the fact that anti-corruption agencies are operating independently could also be framed as evidence that Ukraine's judicial institutions are functioning under wartime pressure.