Former Zelensky chief of staff faces new criminal case
Andrey Yermak, a former influential chief of staff to Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, has been declared a suspect in a new criminal case, the nation’s Western-backed anti-corruption bodies have said in a statement on Telegram.
The former official is alleged to have been part of a criminal group that laundered 460 million hryvnias ($10 million) through an elite housing construction project.
Often described as the grey cardinal behind Zelensky, Yermak was forced out in November 2025 after the anti-corruption agencies raided his properties as part of a high-profile corruption probe. The investigation was focused on a $100 million graft scheme linked to Zelensky’s inner circle and his former business partner and close associate, Timur Mindich.
Yermak himself denied ties to corruption at the time and claimed he stepped down to avoid “creating problems” for Zelensky.
The former chief of staff now stands accused of violating Article 209 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, which covers “money laundering and legalization of ill-gotten gains.” Earlier on Monday, the Ukrainian media reported that Yermak was subjected to some “investigative procedures” by the Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
According to a video published by the anti-corruption agencies on YouTube, the criminal group might have also involved the former national unity minister, Aleksey Chernyshov, who headed the community and territorial development ministry at the time the group was active. Chernyshov’s wife was allegedly a co-owner of the construction company used in the scheme.
In December, the Ukrainian media reported that Yermak had retained influence following his resignation and was talking to Zelensky daily by phone and meeting him most evenings at his residence despite holding no formal government position.
The news comes amid another corruption scandal. Last month, Ukrainskaya Pravda released what it called leaked transcripts from surveillance recordings of Mindich and his business partners, as well as Ukrainian government officials. The files that have since become known as ‘Mindich tapes’ included a conversation Mindich had with a woman identified as Natalia, who reportedly oversaw a luxury construction project for him and Yermak. The leaks are yet to be officially verified.
