Ukraine’s two main anti-corruption agencies have named President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, as an official suspect in a major money laundering investigation.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office said late Monday that Yermak is suspected of involvement in laundering 460 million hryvnias, or about $10.5 million.
The agencies said the investigation is still underway.
Yermak, who stepped down in November, was a close ally of Zelenskyy and served as Ukraine’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States. His resignation came during a scandal that posed one of the biggest political challenges to Zelenskyy since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The investigation is a major embarrassment for Zelenskyy as Ukraine seeks membership in the European Union. Widespread corruption remains one of the key obstacles to the country’s accession.
Zelenskyy did not comment publicly on the announcement. However, his press secretary, Dmytro Lytvyn, said it was too early to draw conclusions as the investigation was ongoing.
Investigators suspect Yermak was involved in laundering money through a housing development project near Kyiv. His home was searched in November, but no other suspects have been identified.
Yermak’s lawyer, Ihor Fomin, rejected the allegations, calling the notice of suspicion baseless and denying his client had any role in the alleged scheme.
“In my view, this situation has been driven by public pressure,” Fomin told Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspilne.
A decision on whether to file formal charges against Yermak could take several months.
Meanwhile, fighting between Ukraine and Russia continued despite the end of a three-day ceasefire brokered by the United States.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia launched more than 200 drones overnight, damaging civilian infrastructure and killing at least one person.
“It is time to strengthen our positions and force Moscow to end the war,” Sybiha said on social media.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 30 Ukrainian drones over regions bordering Ukraine.
Separately, Zelenskyy said he met in Kyiv with Alex Karp, chief executive of Palantir Technologies, to discuss expanding cooperation in defense technology and artificial intelligence.
Palantir develops AI software used by defense agencies to process and analyze large amounts of data, helping improve battlefield decision-making and military operations.