Zelenskyy’s Top Aide Resigns After Home Search by Anticorruption Investigators
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the resignation of his powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, amid an escalating corruption investigation that has shaken Kyiv and raised concerns among Western allies.
The announcement came on Friday, just hours after Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) searched Yermak’s apartment in connection with an ongoing inquiry.
“The Office of the President of Ukraine will be reorganised. The head of the office, Andriy Yermak, has submitted his resignation,” Zelenskyy said in a televised address, adding that consultations on a possible replacement would begin on Saturday.
Yermak, a central figure in Ukraine’s wartime diplomacy and the president’s closest adviser, confirmed earlier that investigators had searched his home, saying he was fully cooperating.
“There are no obstacles for the investigators. They have been given full access… my lawyers are cooperating with law enforcement,” he wrote on social media.
NABU and SAPO said the search was authorised and linked to an active investigation, though the details of the case were not immediately disclosed.
Wider corruption probe
The search follows a sweeping investigation unveiled earlier this month into an alleged $100m kickback scheme involving Energoatom, Ukraine’s state nuclear power operator. The probe has implicated former senior officials and Tymur Mindich, a past business partner of Zelenskyy.
The developments come as Kyiv faces mounting pressure from the administration of US President Donald Trump to accept a revised peace proposal aimed at ending the four-year war with Russia. Ukraine and European allies have expressed concerns that earlier versions of the US plan included concessions favourable to Moscow.
Political pressure rising
Zelenskyy is also facing domestic criticism, with opposition lawmakers faulting Yermak’s influential role in peace negotiations and calling for greater political transparency.
Despite the turmoil, Zelenskyy urged unity:
“Russia very much wants Ukraine to make mistakes. There will be no mistakes on our part. Our work continues.”
A key but controversial figure
Yermak, 54, a former film producer and copyright lawyer, has been widely regarded as the second-most powerful man in Ukraine. Since joining Zelenskyy’s political circle in 2019, he has acted as the president’s gatekeeper and chief strategist, playing a crucial role in shaping diplomacy, security policy and wartime negotiations.
His resignation comes at a critical moment, as Ukrainian, US and European officials work to refine a potential peace framework and as Russia intensifies military and political pressure.
According to Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Kyiv, Yermak’s departure marks a serious setback:
“It couldn’t be more critical for Ukraine. It is negotiating its very survival as a sovereign nation.”
The corruption investigation, meanwhile, continues. Authorities say Mindich is suspected of orchestrating the alleged Energoatom scheme, which remains under intensive scrutiny.
