Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities have named former presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak as an official suspect in a major money-laundering investigation involving millions of dollars.
The announcement was made jointly by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which said Yermak is suspected of involvement in a 460-million-hryvnia ($10.5 million) laundering scheme.
Officials emphasized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not under suspicion in the case.
The investigation marks one of the most politically sensitive corruption probes since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Yermak, once considered one of Zelenskyy’s closest and most influential allies, resigned in November amid mounting scrutiny surrounding the scandal.
According to prosecutors, the case centers on a luxury real estate development near Kyiv and also involves alleged misconduct tied to Ukraine’s energy sector, defense industry, drone procurement, and military contracting.
Senior Ukrainian official Rustem Umerov has reportedly been questioned as a witness in the investigation. Prosecutors also said former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov and businessman Tymur Mindich are implicated in the broader probe.
Yermak’s lawyer, Ihor Fomin, denied the allegations and described the suspicion notice as baseless, insisting his client had no role in laundering funds through the construction project.
The scandal presents a major challenge for Zelenskyy’s government as Ukraine continues pursuing membership in the European Union. Tackling entrenched corruption remains one of the key requirements for EU accession.
While the corruption investigation intensified, Zelenskyy also met in Kyiv with Alex Karp to deepen technological and defense cooperation between Ukraine and Palantir Technologies.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine and Palantir “can be useful to each other,” highlighting discussions around artificial intelligence applications for both military and civilian purposes.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said cooperation with Palantir has helped Ukraine improve battlefield intelligence analysis, manage reconnaissance data, and support planning for deep-strike operations against Russian targets.
The developments came as a three-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire expired with renewed fighting. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia launched more than 200 drones overnight, killing at least one person and injuring several others.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 30 Ukrainian drones near border regions.
The war, launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022, has now entered its fifth year with no comprehensive peace agreement in sight.
