Trending Now - Zelensky's Former Chief of Staff Implicated in Corruption Case

WHO:

CNN - Andriy Yermak was widely seen as Ukraine’s second most powerful person after Zelensky, wielding outsize influence across much of Ukrainian politics despite holding an unelected position.

CNN - Andriy Yermak was widely identified by local media as the suspect in the corruption probe.

CNN - Dmytro Lytvyn is Zelensky’s communications adviser.

CNN - President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, is named as a suspect.

CNN - Dmytro Lytvyn is identified as Zelensky’s communications adviser.

Politico.eu - A former deputy prime minister and close associate of Zelensky’s was also charged.

WHAT:

CNN - Andriy Yermak is suspected of participating in a criminal group that laundered around €8.9 million through an elite housing development outside Kyiv.

Politico.eu - The investigation includes leaked transcripts of phone conversations that allegedly implicate national-security aides and close associates of Zelensky in kickback schemes and influence-peddling scams.

IJR - Yermak has been charged with money laundering and corruption.

IJR - Andriy Yermak has been charged with money laundering and corruption.

CNN - Yermak denied owning real estate in the elite housing development linked to the laundering activities.

Politico.eu - Yermak stated, “When the investigation is over, I will give comments. I have no mansions, I have only a flat and a car that you see.”

CNN - Yermak is suspected of participating in a criminal group that laundered around $10.5 million.

CNN - The investigation is part of a broader probe into high-level graft, which includes a $100 million kickback scheme at the state atomic agency.

Politico.eu - Yermak was fired by Zelensky in November after NABU searched his office.

Politico.eu - Yermak stated, “I have no mansions, I have only a flat and a car that you see.”

WHERE:

CNN - The laundering activities are linked to an elite housing development outside the capital, Kyiv.

Politico.eu - The investigation involves state funds from Energoatom.

WHEN:

CNN - The corruption probe was first unveiled last November.

Politico.eu - Yermak was fired on the same day NABU searched his office in November.

WHY:

Politico.eu - The scandal has important implications for Ukraine, as it undermines defense capabilities, damages international reputation, and does not help European integration.

Politico.eu - The Ukrainian parliament voted to strip NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s office of their independence last summer, with Zelensky signing the bill into law the same day, which sparked nationwide protests and forced the Ukrainian government to retract the decision.

Politico.eu - The Ukrainian parliament voted to strip NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s office of their independence last summer, which sparked nationwide protests.

CNN - The investigation is fueled by public anger and aims to restore trust in the president’s office amid ongoing war pressures.

Politico.eu - Zelensky stated he had to let Yermak go to “avoid any speculations.”

HOW:

Politico.eu - The alleged crime group laundered state funds, including from Energoatom, through luxury real estate investments.

CNN - The alleged crime group laundered state funds through luxury real estate investments.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 23:20 UTC)

Andriy Yermak has been charged with money laundering and corruption, as he is suspected of being part of a criminal group that laundered approximately €8.9 million through a luxury housing development near Kyiv. The investigation has revealed leaked transcripts of phone conversations that allegedly involve national-security aides and close associates of President Zelensky in various kickback schemes and influence-peddling scams. This scandal poses significant risks for Ukraine, potentially undermining its defense capabilities, harming its international reputation, and complicating its efforts for European integration.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 19:31 UTC)

Andriy Yermak, who was considered Ukraine’s second most powerful figure after President Zelensky, has been charged with money laundering and corruption. This comes after the Ukrainian parliament voted last summer to remove the independence of NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s office, a decision that President Zelensky signed into law, leading to widespread protests across the country. The backlash from those protests ultimately forced the Ukrainian government to retract that controversial decision.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 17:40 UTC)

Andriy Yermak has been identified by local media as a suspect in a corruption probe, while Dmytro Lytvyn serves as President Zelensky’s communications adviser. Yermak has denied owning any real estate linked to the alleged laundering activities, stating, “When the investigation is over, I will give comments. I have no mansions, I have only a flat and a car that you see.” This investigation follows a controversial decision by the Ukrainian parliament to strip the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s office of their independence, a move that ignited nationwide protests.

(UPDATED May 12, 2026 11:37 UTC)

Andriy Yermak, President Zelensky’s former chief of staff, has been named as a suspect in a criminal investigation involving the laundering of approximately $10.5 million, linked to an elite housing development outside Kyiv. The probe, which also charges a former deputy prime minister and a close associate of Zelensky, is part of a broader investigation into high-level corruption, including a $100 million kickback scheme at the state atomic agency. Yermak, who was fired by Zelensky last November after a search of his office by NABU, has publicly stated, “I have no mansions, I have only a flat and a car that you see.”