Corruption scandal in the neighbourhood: Zelenskyy’s Presidential Chief resigns

Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, resigned on Friday after his office was raided by the country’s anti-corruption authorities, marking a major shake-up in President Zelenskyy’s inner circle.

Both of Ukraine’s key anti-corruption bodies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), took part in the investigation, the authorities said on Friday.

Shortly after the search, Zelenskyy announced Jermak’s resignation on his Telegram channel.

“There will be changes in the presidential office. Andriy Jermak, head of the presidential office, has submitted his resignation. (…) I am grateful to Andriy for always representing Ukraine’s position in negotiations exactly as needed. He has always acted patriotically. But I do not want rumors and speculation to arise,” the president said.

Zelenskyy added that consultations would be held on Saturday regarding who might succeed Jermak. The move is intended to maintain Ukraine’s internal strength during key peace negotiations. Investigations are still ongoing, however, and it remains unclear what impact this will have on the functioning of the presidential office.

• Putin praises Orbán’s “balanced” Ukraine stance as leaders discuss potential Russia–US summit in Budapest

The embezzlement at Enerhoatom

The scandal centers on a large-scale corruption network connected to the state nuclear energy company, Enerhoatom. Authorities have been investigating under the codename “Midas” for 15 months, compiling more than 1,000 hours of wiretaps and conducting around 70 searches.

The investigation found that companies securing contracts with the firm obtained them illegally and through misconduct, with a significant portion of the funds paid out in cash as hidden commissions. According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), roughly 100 million U.S. dollars were involved.

Jermak’s connection to the scandal

The probe revealed that the Enerhoatom corruption case did not only affect the state company’s management but may have been closely linked to the political circles of the presidential office. As Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Jermak oversaw the administration’s energy policy and could be considered indirectly responsible for supervising Enerhoatom’s contracts and finances.