Zelensky's former deputy, Yermak, is under investigation in a significant corruption probe
Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) has charged former presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak in a money laundering case linked to the construction of a luxury residential compound outside Kyiv, according to a statement released by SAPO.
Although SAPO did not publicly identify the suspect by name, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that the charges concern Yermak.
Investigators from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and SAPO allege that more than Hr 460 million (about US$8.9 million) was funneled through the project over several years using shell companies, cash transactions, and fictitious financial documents.
According to law enforcement, the project involved plans to build four luxury mansions of around 1,000 square meters each, along with a shared wellness complex featuring a spa and swimming pool. Each residence was reportedly valued at several million dollars.
The case is tied to a broader corruption investigation involving Energoatom, Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company. The probe, launched last year, has been described as the largest corruption investigation during the presidency of Volodymyr Zelensky.
Nine suspects have already been charged in the Energoatom case, including Timur Mindich, former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, and former Energy and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko.
A law enforcement source told the Kyiv Independent that suspects in the Energoatom case allegedly provided money to Chernyshov for the construction of the elite homes near Kyiv. One of the residences was reportedly intended for Yermak.
Responding to questions about the allegations, Yermak told Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda that he does not own any houses.
“I don't own any houses; I only have one apartment and one car, which you saw,” Yermak said.
President Zelensky has not publicly commented on the charges. Presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said it was “too early to assess the ongoing procedural actions.”
Yermak resigned as head of the Presidential Office in November 2025 amid the ongoing investigation. Before stepping down, he had become one of the most influential figures in Ukrainian politics, serving as Zelenskyy’s closest aide and playing a central role in domestic policy and international diplomacy.
A former lawyer and film producer with no previous political experience, Yermak gained influence through his close relationship with Zelenskyy. He was also reportedly involved in efforts to weaken Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions last year, a move that triggered domestic protests and criticism from international partners.
Yermak additionally played a prominent role in foreign policy, including contacts with U.S. officials regarding peace negotiations with Russia.
Prosecutors to seek detention or US$4 million bail for Zelensky's former chief of staff Yermak
Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office head Oleksandr Klymenko said during a briefing on May 12 that prosecutors will seek the pre-trial detention of Andrii Yermak in a case involving the construction of the luxury Dynastiia residential complex in Kozyn near Kyiv.
According to Klymenko, prosecutors will ask the court to impose detention with the alternative of bail set at UAH 180 million (around US$4 million).
The case concerns the alleged laundering of UAH 460 million (approximately US$10.5 million) through the construction project. Investigators from National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the SAPO ( Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) believe part of the money used for the project may have originated from corruption schemes linked to Energoatom.
Earlier, NABU and SAPO served notices of suspicion on six other alleged members of the organised group connected to the case.
Investigative actions involving Yermak were conducted on the evening of May 11, after which he was formally notified of suspicion in the money laundering investigation.
Commenting on the allegations, Yermak said he owns “only one car and one apartment.”
Dmytro Lytvyn also commented on the case, saying that “this context has existed for a long time, so there is nothing surprising about it.”
Kremlin explained why it began speaking about the possible end of the war against Ukraine
Dmitry Peskov has said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin believes the war against Ukraine is allegedly approaching its end due to what Moscow describes as “progress” in the peace process and continued mediation efforts by the United States.
Speaking after Putin’s remarks at a press conference on Saturday, Peskov said the “body of work accumulated within the peace process” allows the Kremlin to claim that the end of the war is nearing, though he declined to provide any concrete timeline.
“At the same time, it is not yet possible to speak about any specifics in this context,” Peskov said.
He added that the so-called “humanitarian truce” had ended and that Russia’s “special military operation” — the Kremlin’s term for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — was continuing.
Peskov also claimed that the war could stop “at any moment” if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian government made what he described as the “necessary decisions.”
“What decisions need to be made is well known in Kyiv,” Peskov said, without elaborating.
The Kremlin spokesman further claimed that Putin is supposedly prepared “at any moment” to meet Zelensky in Moscow for negotiations.
According to Peskov, however, any such meeting would only make sense for finalising a settlement agreement and only after “a great deal of homework” had first been completed through negotiations.