Zelenskyy's Former Chief of Staff Named Suspect in Ukraine Corruption and Money-Laundering Probe

May 13, 2026

Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau has named Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's former chief of staff who resigned in November 2025, as a suspect in a major corruption investigation involving an alleged $10.5 million money-laundering scheme. The probe centers on wrongdoing in Ukraine's energy sector, defense industry, and military procurement, as well as a luxury real estate development near Kyiv, and also implicates former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov and businessman Tymur Mindich. While Zelenskyy himself is not under suspicion, the case represents the closest corruption allegations have come to the president as he pushes for EU admission, which is being slowed by endemic corruption concerns. The investigation unfolds as Russia's invasion enters its fifth year, with a recent U.S.-brokered ceasefire failing to stop fighting and Russia launching over 200 drones against Ukraine on May 12, 2026, killing at least one person.

Yermak corruption investigation

▪Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office named Andriy Yermak as an official suspect in a major graft investigation on May 12, 2026.
▪Andriy Yermak left his position as chief of staff during the scandal that brought the biggest threat to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government since Russia's full-scale invasion.
▪Andriy Yermak was Ukraine's lead negotiator in talks with the United States.
▪Andriy Yermak is suspected in an alleged 460-million-hryvnia ($10.5 million) money-laundering scheme.
▪President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not under suspicion in the graft case involving Andriy Yermak.
▪Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, has been questioned and is a witness in the graft case.
▪Investigators searched Andriy Yermak's home in November 2025.
▪Andriy Yermak resigned as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff in November 2025.

Ukraine EU admission obstacles

▪President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pushing for Ukraine's admission to the European Union.
▪Endemic corruption is one of the obstacles slowing Ukraine's admission to the European Union.

Palantir defense technology cooperation

▪Palantir Technologies has partnered with Ukraine for several years.
▪Ukraine and Palantir Technologies have created a platform for developers to get battlefield data to train AI models, with more than 100 companies currently involved.
▪President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp in Kyiv on May 12, 2026.

Russian strikes after ceasefire

▪Russia's invasion of Ukraine is now in its fifth year as of May 2026.
▪The Russian Defense Ministry intercepted 30 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine on May 12, 2026.
▪Russian drone strikes on May 12, 2026 killed at least one person and wounded another six in Ukraine.
▪A three-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine ended on May 11, 2026.
▪Russia launched over 200 drones against Ukraine overnight on May 12, 2026, striking civilian infrastructure.

Ukraine battlefield momentum

▪There is no sign of a peace settlement within reach between Russia and Ukraine as of May 2026.
▪German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions of Ukraine on May 12, 2026.