MARTIAL TREZZINI/EPA
Ukraine President’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak talks to the press during consultations on Trump’s peace plan at the US Mission in Geneva, Switzerland, November 23, 2025.
Andriy Yermak’s house searched as part of the most extensive corruption investigation since the start of the war. Details will be “released soon”.
The National Anti-Corruption Agency of Ukraine (NABU) announced that searches and seizures were carried out this Friday at the residence of Andriy Yermakchief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The National Anti-Corruption Agency and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) said in a statement that the operations are part of an “ongoing” investigation, adding that details will be “released soon”.
Andriy Yermak, who has been involved in recent negotiations with the US on the peace plan to end the , is being investigated as part of a case involving the state-owned company Energoatomresponsible for nuclear energy in the country.
“Today, NABU and SAPO are in fact carrying out procedural actions at my house”, confirmed Yermak. “Investigators are not encountering any obstacles”, he stated in a message published on Telegram: “They were given full access to the apartment and my lawyers are on site, interacting with law enforcement agents. For my part, I am fully cooperating.”
The scandal drags on
Eight suspects were charged in what is shaping up to be the most extensive corruption investigation since the start of the Russian invasion in early 2022. According to NABU, around 100 million dollars in funds.
The investigation, conducted over 15 months and supported by around a thousand hours of wiretapping, points to an alleged bribery system charged to Energoatom contractors between 10% and 15% of the value of each contract.
The contracts in question include fortification works to protect Ukrainian energy infrastructure from Russian attacks, at a time when millions of citizens are facing power cuts.
Anti-corruption authorities identify the businessman Timur Mindich, Zelenskyy’s former business partner, as the alleged mastermind of the scheme.
The Ukrainian president imposed sanctions on Mindich and the government launched an anti-corruption audit of all public companies, which has already led to those of the Energy Minister, Svitlana Hrynchukand the former Minister of Energy and later of Justice, Herman Halushchenko.
In July, after the biggest protests in Ukraine since the start of the invasion, Zelenskyy in the decision that the independence of the two institutions responsible for combating corruption in the country and for guaranteeing independence of anti-corruption agencies.
News of new searches comes just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putinto hold presidential elections if you want peace. From Putin’s perspective, Kiev’s leadership lost legitimacy after refusing to hold elections when Zelenskyy’s term expired. Kiev has in turn reinforced on several occasions that it cannot carry out while it is under martial law and defending its territory from Russian aggression.
