Ukraine Anti-Corruption Officials Charge Former Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak With Money Laundering
Anti-corruption officials charged Andriy Yermak on May 12, 2026, naming him a suspect in a scheme that laundered UAH 460 million on an elite housing project. Yermak appeared in a Kyiv court the same day as prosecutors sought preventive detention or $4 million bail. The case forms part of a broader inquiry into a $100 million embezzlement scheme in the nuclear energy sector.
BBC NewsAnti-corruption officials charged Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's former chief of staff, with money laundering and corruption on May 12, 2026. 9 million) on elite construction near Kyiv. Yermak appeared in a Kyiv court on May 12, 2026.
Ukraine's Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office asked the court to place him in preventive detention or set bail of about $4 million (£3 million). The latest claims centre on an elite housing project called 'Dynasty' in a village outside Kyiv where millions in construction funds were allegedly laundered.
The anti-corruption bureau shared part of a wiretapped conversation as part of its case against suspects including Andriy Yermak.
Six more people were identified as suspects in the money-laundering scheme. The corruption probe is part of a broader inquiry into an alleged $100 million (£74 million) embezzlement scheme in Ukraine's nuclear energy sector. The high-level criminal organization bribed energy contractors between 10 and 15 percent of their contracts’ value.
Some contracts involved defensive fortifications to protect energy infrastructure being bombed by Russia. Tapes obtained by NABU contain conversations about delaying fortification projects to obtain maximum profit on kickbacks. Newly released tapes appear to show people close to Zelenskyy, including Timur Mindich, influencing then-Defence Minister Rustem Umerov’s decisions on defense contracts.
Timur Mindich controlled the work of the so-called ‘laundry room’ where criminally-obtained funds were laundered, according to NABU. Timur Mindich co-owned Kvartal 95 Studio with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Andriy Yermak's home was raided by Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities on November 28, 2025.
He resigned from his position after the raid on his flat in November 2025. In November 2025, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office conducted Operation Midas, charging multiple high-level officials. Ex-Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov was charged with abuse of office in Operation Midas.
Ex-Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko was detained while trying to leave the country in Operation Midas. Businessman Timur Mindich was flagged as a suspect in the 2025 investigation and reportedly fled the country hours before searches. Mykola Hladyshchenko, a high-ranking official of a state-owned bank at the centre of the corruption scandal, temporarily suspended himself.
The head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau stressed that Zelensky himself was not part of the pre-trial investigation. " His lawyer Ihor Fomin said the allegations against Yermak were "baseless". Presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said it was too early to comment on the investigations because they are ongoing.
A Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll conducted April 20-27, 2026 found 54% of Ukrainians in government-controlled territory consider government corruption the biggest threat to Ukraine’s development versus 39% for Russia’s military aggression. A KIIS poll showed trust in Zelensky at 58% to 36% in early May 2026, a 4-point drop from 62% one month earlier.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
5 events- 2026-05-12
Andriy Yermak charged with money laundering and corruption; appears in Kyiv court; prosecutors seek preventive detention or $4 million bail
3 sourcesNational Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukrai · Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s · BBC News - 2026-05-06
KIIS poll released showing 54% of Ukrainians view government corruption as bigger threat than Russian aggression
1 sourceKyiv International Institute of Sociolog - 2026-04-20
KIIS poll fieldwork begins; trust in Zelensky recorded at 58% in early May follow-up
1 sourceKyiv International Institute of Sociolog - 2025-11-28
Anti-corruption authorities raid Andriy Yermak's home; he resigns shortly afterward
2 sourcesReuters · BBC News - 2025-11
Operation Midas charges multiple officials including Oleksiy Chernyshov and detains Herman Haluschenko; Timur Mindich flees
3 sourcesNABU · SAPO · Ukrainska Pravda
Potential Impact
- 01
Possible additional charges or detentions as six more suspects identified and tapes continue to surface
- 02
Further erosion of public trust in Zelensky government amid ongoing war
- 03
Increased domestic pressure on anti-corruption institutions following past attempts to limit their independence
- 04
Potential complications for Ukraine's EU accession bid due to high-level corruption perceptions
Transparency Panel
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