Ukraine’s anti-corruption investigators searched the home of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powerful chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, on Thursday, marking an unprecedented move inside the country’s political inner circle as Kyiv faces mounting US pressure to agree to a peace deal with Russia.
Two national anti-graft bodies confirmed that their operation focused on Yermak. His spokesperson Oleksii Tkachuk said no notice of suspicion had been issued, adding that investigators did not clarify the reason for the searches. Media outlets reported that Yermak’s office was also inspected, though officials declined to comment.
Yermak said in a Telegram post that investigators faced no resistance and that he was cooperating with lawyers present. It was not known where he or the president were during the early morning raid on his apartment inside the presidential compound.
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office are currently probing a major 100 million dollar energy sector corruption case that has shaken the government in recent weeks. Investigators did not say whether the search of Yermak’s property was linked to that case. NABU spokesperson Anton Tatarnikov declined to give details, citing legal restrictions.
The European Commission said it was closely monitoring the development. Guillaume Mercier, a spokesperson, told Radio Svoboda that the searches showed Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies were functioning and noted that tackling graft was essential for the country’s EU membership ambitions.
Investigators believe Tymur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelenskyy, orchestrated the alleged energy corruption scheme. Mindich has left Ukraine, and any case against him is expected to proceed in absentia. Two ministers have already resigned over the scandal.
Yermak has also faced scrutiny over the conduct of his former deputies. Oleh Tatarov and Rostyslav Shurma stepped down in 2024 after they were probed for financial misconduct. Another deputy, Andrii Smyrnov, was investigated for alleged bribes but remains in his post.
The widening scandal has intensified political pressure on Zelenskyy as he seeks continued Western backing for the war effort and financial assistance. Earlier this month, lawmakers from the president’s own party openly challenged him after investigators released details of the energy probe. Some senior MPs demanded Yermak’s removal to help restore public confidence, warning the party could fracture if he stayed. Zelenskyy rejected those calls and urged unity.
Yermak, once a lawyer in the television industry, first met Zelenskyy more than 15 years ago when the president was a well-known entertainer. He joined Zelenskyy’s first presidential team in charge of foreign affairs and was appointed chief of staff in February 2020. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Yermak has accompanied Zelenskyy on all foreign trips and is viewed domestically as the president’s gatekeeper with significant influence over top government appointments.
Officials linked to Yermak and the presidential office have previously been investigated, though Yermak himself has not been formally accused of wrongdoing.