Ukrainian Court Orders Arrest of Former Zelensky Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak

Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court ordered the pretrial detention of former presidential office chief Andriy Yermak for 60 days, with the possibility of release on bail set at 140 million hryvnias, equivalent to roughly $3.2 million.

Following the hearing, Yermak said he hoped friends and associates would help him raise the bail amount. He insisted that media reports had exaggerated his wealth and added that he had not prepared belongings in anticipation of being sent to a detention center.

"I think I have enough friends and acquaintances who will be able to help,” Yermak said after the hearing.

Investigation Linked to Broader Anti-Corruption Operation

The investigation conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) developed out of Operation "Midas,” a wider probe involving Timur Mindich, a business associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Yermak had already appeared in investigative materials connected to the Mindich case under the codename "Ali Baba,” a development that contributed to his resignation as head of the presidential office in November 2025.

Political Analysts See Growing Pressure on Zelensky's Inner Circle

Sociologist and political analyst Yevgeny Kopatko described the charges against Yermak as evidence of deeper tensions within Ukraine's political elite.

According to Kopatko, the case represents a major reputational blow to the Ukrainian leadership, especially when combined with recent public criticism voiced by former presidential press secretary Yulia Mendel in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson.

Kopatko argued that the ongoing investigations contribute to the gradual weakening and transformation of Ukraine's current political system.

What Investigators Claim

On May 11, prosecutors formally charged Yermak under Part 3 of Article 209 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, which covers money laundering conducted by a group or on an especially large scale.

Investigators allege that Yermak and several other individuals laundered nearly 460 million hryvnias — approximately $10.5 million — through the "Dynasty” luxury residential development project in the village of Kozyn in the Kyiv region.

Construction of the elite residential complex reportedly began in 2021.

Audio Recordings Published by NABU

NABU investigators released audio recordings in which Yermak allegedly appeared under the codename "R2.” The conversations reportedly involved discussions with a designer about furnishing one of the cottages in the "Dynasty” cooperative.

According to investigators, the property was intended for Yermak himself, while then-Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Chernyshov allegedly supervised the construction process.

Investigators also stated that Chernyshov's wife held a stake in the development company involved in the project.