Another bang in the big one recently uncovered in Ukraine Bribery scandal: The anti-corruption authorities reported on Friday a search of the head of the presidential office, Andrij Jermak, informed. The measures against the president’s powerful chief of staff Wolodimir Selenskij are part of ongoing investigations, said the National Anti-Corruption Office and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in Kiev. Jermak took the consequences late on Friday evening and resigned. He had “signed a declaration of resignation,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky in a video message.
Does this mean Zelenskiy is off the hook? What does the bribery scandal mean for the Ukrainian head of state? And why did he send his right-hand man Yermak to the negotiations with the USA?
The most important questions and answers.
Who is Andriy Yermak anyway?
The 54-year-old Ukrainian was considered the second most powerful man in the country. He was Zelensky’s most important support and right-hand man; he organized his political life down to the last detail; For this reason, many Ukrainians have long viewed the beefy head of the presidential office as less transparent.Shadow President“ – in the summer he even tried to limit the powers of the corruption investigators who now have him in their sights.
Like the president, Yermak, who is six years older, was not in politics before Zelenskiy was elected president in 2019. They had already worked together, Yermak as a lawyer and producer, Zelensky as an actor. The politically inexperienced ex-comedy star brought Jermak into politics. Today he is Zelenskiy’s closest, most important and, above all, most powerful confidant. Anyone who doesn’t see Yermak in the president’s circle will be removed.
Why was Yermak’s office searched?
At least Jermak is said to have known about the corruption scandal. It’s about that biggest bribery scandal the country’s recent history: To the 100 million dollars from the energy sector are said to have been embezzled.
“There are no obstacles for the investigators,” said Jermak on social networks. The investigators had full access to his apartment, and his lawyers worked with the investigators on site. “From my side – full cooperation,” said the 54-year-old.
Why did Zelensky not abandon his confidant for a long time?
The Ukrainian head of state is initially providing his gray eminence with even greater tasks; he sent Yermak to Geneva this week for the Ukraine peace negotiations with the USA. His appointment as head of the delegation last week caused astonishment among political observers in Kiev: the president probably couldn’t let Yermak go for a long time because he plays far too big a role for him.
Who else is involved in the scandal?
Most recently he also became a former defense minister Rustem Umyerov been summoned by corruption investigators. The secretary of the National Security Council is considered a witness, reported the online portal “Ukrainskaya Pravda”. The 43-year-old is also one of Kiev’s main negotiators in talks with war opponents Russia and the USA.
Just over two weeks ago, Ukrainian corruption investigators made their findings about bribe payments public. Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk and her predecessor Herman Halushchenko, who now served as Justice Minister, have since been fired. There have already been several arrests.
And what is damaging Zelensky the most in this scandal?
The fact that his long-time and close business partner East Minditsch was particularly cheeky in shoveling millions aside in this scandal. The connections between Zelensky and Minditsch were close. The President and his wife Olena own one Apartment in the same buildinghe and Minditsch owned years ago together the television production company Kwartal 95with which Zelensky became famous.
Minditsch has that leave the countrybefore the anti-corruption authorities invaded him, so he must have been warned in good time. He is said to be the giant’s head Corruption ring be that in total 100 million dollars aside should have achieved. The group, in which other politicians and top managers were involved, is said to have secured “control over personnel decisions, procurement processes and financial flows” at the state-owned nuclear company Energoatom. For each order, the gang is said to have collected up to 15 percent of the order sum as bribes.
The scandal is also problematic for Zelensky because the machinations also Construction of protective systems to protect electricity transformers against Russian bombing raids.
If you believe the opposition, the scandal could also affect Zelenskiy personally: As the president tried in early summer to curtail the powers of anti-corruption investigatorshe is said to have tried To protect Minditschis the accusation. The entrepreneur has been under investigation for some time.
In this context, the investigators also mentioned corruption in the defense sector and contacts between Minditsch and former Defense Minister Umjerow when purchasing protective vests for the army. Umjerow himself has vehemently denied any involvement in the bribery affair. He held the post of Defense Minister from September 2023 to July 2025.
Note: The article was updated at 4:46 p.m. with the announcement of Yermak’s resignation