Ukrainian anti-corruption officials raid office of top Zelensky aide
An anti-corruption raid has targeted President Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, just as Yermak is leading talks on a US-led peace plan. And Tymur Mindich, a close Zelensky associate, has fled a probe into corruption in the energy sector.
Kiev (dpa/AFP/AP) - Ukrainian anti-corruption officials have conducted a search at the office of Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The raid is linked to ongoing investigations, the anti-corruption authorities said on Friday.
Zelensky's administration has been dogged by serious corruption allegations in recent months.
Earlier this month, a scandal involving alleged kickbacks at state nuclear company Energoatom forced two ministers to step down, while Zelensky imposed sanctions on his long-time business partner Tymur Mindich, who fled to Israel.
Ukraine's anti-corruption authorities said Friday they were carrying out searches targeting President Volodymyr Zelensky's powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, raids that come as a massive corruption scandal embroils Kyiv.
Energy sector kickbacks
Investigators earlier this month said they had uncovered a $100-million kickback scheme in the strategic energy sector, triggering widespread public anger at a time when Russia is hammering the country's power grid, causing blackouts and threatening heating outages throughout winter.
The National Anti-Corruption Agency (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) "are conducting investigative actions (searches) at the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. The investigative actions are sanctioned and are being carried out as part of an investigation," NABU said in a statement.
It did not say what the searches were in connection with.
Yermak, Zelensky's most important ally, leads talks with US on peace plan
Yermak is Zelensky's most important ally, but a divisive figure in Kyiv, where his opponents say he has accumulated power, gate-keeps access to the president and ruthlessly sidelines critical voices.
Zelensky has put him in charge of negotiations with the United States to rework a 28-point plan proposed by President Donald Trump to end Russia's war in Ukraine, which Kyiv viewed as heavily favouring Moscow.
Yermak cooperating with investigation
"There are no obstacles for the investigators. They have been given full access to the apartment, and my lawyers are present on-site, cooperating with the law enforcement officers. From my side, there is full cooperation," Yermak said on social media.
Oleksii Tkachuk, a spokesperson for Yermak, said the anti-graft agencies had not served Yermak a notice of suspicion, meaning he was not a suspect in an investigation. Tkachuk added that Yermak had not been told what the searches related to.
Yermak confirmed they searched his apartment inside the presidential compound in downtown Kyiv, where checkpoints limit public access. Media reports said Yermak's office was also searched, but investigators declined to comment on that.
It was not clear where Zelensky or Yermak were at the time of the morning raid.
"The investigators are facing no obstacles," Yermak wrote on the messaging app Telegram. He added that he was cooperating fully with them and his lawyers were present.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office are Ukrainian anti-corruption watchdogs. They are currently leading a major investigation into a $100 million energy sector corruption scandal involving top Ukrainian officials which has dominated domestic headlines in recent weeks.
It was not clear if the searches were connected to the case and a spokesperson for the NABU, Anton Tatarnikov, declined to comment, citing legal restrictions on revealing details on an ongoing probe.
Mindich seen as plot mastermind
Investigators suspect that Mindich, a one-time business partner of Zelensky, was the plot's mastermind. Two top government ministers have resigned in the scandal.
Two of Yermak's former deputies - Oleh Tatarov and Rostyslav Shurma - left the government in 2024 after watchdogs investigated them for financial wrongdoing. A third deputy, Andrii Smyrnov, was investigated for bribes and other wrongdoing but still works for Yermak.
The scandal has heaped more problems on Zelensky as he seeks continued support from Western countries for Ukraine's war effort and tries to ensure continued foreign funding. The European Union, which Ukraine wants to join, has told Zelensky he must crack down on graft.
Zelensky faced an unprecedented rebellion from his own lawmakers earlier this month after investigators published details of their energy sector investigation.
Although Yermak was not accused of any wrongdoing, several senior lawmakers in Zelensky's party said Yermak should take responsibility for the debacle in order to restore public trust. Some said that if Zelensky didn't fire him, the party could split, threatening the president's parliamentary majority. But Zelensky defied them.
Zelensky urged Ukrainians to unite and "stop the political games" in light of the U.S. pressure to reach a settlement with Russia.
Yermak met Zelensky over 15 years ago when he was a lawyer venturing into the TV production business and Zelensky was a famous Ukrainian comedian and actor.
He oversaw foreign affairs as part of Zelensky's first presidential team and was promoted to chief of staff in February 2020.
Yermak has accompanied Zelensky on every trip abroad since Russia's invasion in February 2022, and the president's trust in him has made Yermak's power appear almost untouchable.
Domestically, officials describe Yermak as Zelensky's gatekeeper, and he is widely believed to have chosen all top government appointees, including prime ministers and ministers.
Individuals connected to Yermak and the president's office have come under investigation before.