Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Friday that his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has resigned following an anti-corruption raid on his Kyiv residence an extraordinary development that strikes at the heart of Ukraine’s wartime leadership.
Yermak, 54, has long been Zelensky’s closest adviser and one of the most influential figures in the government throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion. Although he has not been accused of wrongdoing, mounting political pressure surrounding a sweeping corruption probe ultimately forced his departure.
In a somber national address delivered outside his presidential office, Zelensky urged unity as the scandal threatens to weaken Ukraine’s negotiating leverage with Washington at a crucial moment. “We risk losing everything—ourselves, Ukraine, our future,” he warned.
The raid on Yermak’s apartment early Friday was carried out by Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau NABU and the specialized anti-corruption prosecutor’s office SAPO. Yermak wrote on social media that he was offering “full cooperation.”
The scandal centers on an alleged $100 million embezzlement scheme in the energy sector, involving kickbacks and illicit influence over state companies, including the nuclear agency Enerhoatom. Several high-profile suspects have already been detained, two ministers dismissed, and a former business associate of Zelensky has fled the country.
The timing of Yermak’s resignation is particularly sensitive. Zelensky recently appointed him to lead critical negotiations as the United States—under President Donald Trump pushes a renewed diplomatic effort to end the war. U.S. officials are slated to visit Moscow next week, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has endorsed a Hungarian offer to host a Trump-Putin summit in Budapest.
During his video address, Zelensky thanked Yermak for defending Ukraine’s “patriotic position” in talks and said consultations to select a new chief of staff would begin Saturday. “Russia wants Ukraine to make mistakes,” he said. “There will be none. Our work continues. Our fight continues.”
Yermak, in a recent interview, insisted Ukraine would not cede territory under pressure. “As long as Zelensky is president, no one should expect us to give up land,” he said.
