Former Zelensky Aide Yermak Named Laundering Suspect

Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities have named Andriy Yermak, former chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky, as a suspect in a money laundering scheme involving approximately 10.5 million U.S. dollars, according to statements from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office.

The agencies announced the development on Monday, stating that an organized criminal group laundered 460 million hryvnias through a luxury housing project near Kyiv. They identified one suspect as the former head of the Office of the President but did not name Yermak directly, in accordance with Ukrainian law. Local media and law enforcement sources quickly confirmed his involvement.

This case forms part of Operation Midas, a broader investigation launched last November into a 100 million corruption scheme at the state-owned nuclear energy company Energoatom. Prosecutors allege that funds were diverted through offshore accounts and real estate deals during the ongoing war with Russia. Yermak is the tenth person charged in the probe, joining others including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, former Energy and Justice Minister...