Former Ukrainian Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak Named Suspect in Money-Laundering Investigation

Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies have identified Andriy Yermak, former chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as a suspect in a $10.5 million money-laundering case linked to a luxury real estate project near Kyiv. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) announced the suspicion on May 11, 2026, stating that Yermak is suspected of laundering 460 million hryvnias through an elite construction project.

Yermak, who resigned in November 2025 amid the scandal, was a trusted confidant of President Zelenskyy and played a significant role in negotiations with the United States. The investigation also implicates other senior officials and overlaps with probes into corruption in the energy and defense sectors.

The High Anti-Corruption Court has begun considering a preventive measure for Yermak, with SAPO requesting his arrest and proposing an alternative bail of 180 million hryvnias.

President Zelenskyy has not been named as a figure in the investigation. NABU Director Semen Kryvonos stated, "The President of Ukraine has not been and is not a figure within the pre-trial investigation."

In a separate development, President Zelenskyy met with Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp to discuss enhancing Ukraine's use of artificial intelligence in defense operations. The meeting focused on technological development in both combat and civilian contexts.

These events unfold as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year, with no immediate prospects for a peace settlement.