Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak has resigned in a huge blow to his government, hours after anti-corruption agents raided his home in a corruption probe.
In a statement, the Ukrainian president said he had accepted Yermak’s resignation and would consider his replacement on Saturday.
"Russia very much wants Ukraine to make mistakes," Zelenskiy said in a video address. "There will be no mistakes on our part. Our work continues."
Yermak, often referred to as Zelensky’s right-hand man, had his home and offices searched on Friday as part of an investigation into a $100m (£76m) corruption scandal.
“The investigators are facing no obstacles,” the former film producer wrote on Telegram. “They were given full access to the apartment, my lawyers are on site, interacting with law enforcement officers. For my part, I fully cooperate.”
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office are leading the investigation involving top Ukrainian officials.
Earlier this month, the watchdogs released a report implicating several government members in a $100m (£76m) embezzlement scheme involving Ukraine’s state nuclear power company, Energoatom.
The 15-month investigation, dubbed Operation Midas, involved more than 1,000 hours of wiretapping. The group at the centre of the scandal are accused of extracting kickbacks worth 10-15 per cent of contract values, laundering the massive sums through a secret office in Kyiv.
Eight people were accused of bribery, abuse of office and possession of disproportionate assets. More than 70 raids were conducted throughout the operation.
The controversy led to the first street protests in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Zelensky called for the sacking of both justice and energy ministers in response, who resigned earlier this month.
Europe demanded reassurances after the findings of the probe were released.
“We expect Ukraine to press ahead with anti-corruption measures and reforms in its own country,” said German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Ukrainian-Israeli entrepreneur, Tymur Mindich, the alleged ringleader of the scheme, fled the country after he was accused of being the mastermind. Mindich was a co-owner of a production company that helped launch Zelensky’s career as a comedian.
NABU and SAP have two further investigations underway involving allegations of inflated military procurement contracts and raids on the defence ministry are expected in the coming days.
The scandal comes at a crucial juncture in US-brokered negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, in which Yermak has been playing a central role.
President Donald Trump proposed a 28-point peace plan, which was widely criticised as being pro-Russian, while Europe demanded amendments and suggested a counter-proposal after talks held in Geneva. On Thursday, Putin said that Russia could agree to the US plan as the “basis for future agreements”.
Territorial lines remain key sticking points for both sides, with Kyiv saying it would never cede territory to Russia.
Yermak has sought to assure Washington that Kyiv is ready for peace and open to negotiation - but made it clear that areas including the Donbas region are off-limits.
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