Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak resigns after home raided by anti-corruption officials
KYIV, UKRAINE (CBS) — The Ukrainian President’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, who was also part of Ukraine’s peace deal negotiations with the U.S., has resigned after his home was raided in a major investigation into corruption in the country.
Two national agencies investigating a $100 million energy sector corruption scandal involving top Ukrainian officials in the country said they had searched Yermak’s office.
President Zelenskyy announced Yermak’s resignation in a video message, where he said he didn’t want there to be “any questions about Ukraine.”
“I want there to be no rumors and speculation,” he added.
Yermak himself — a powerful figure in Ukraine and a key participant in ongoing talks with the U.S., as the Trump administration pushes for a ceasefire to end Russia’s nearly four-year war on the country — also confirmed that authorities had searched his apartment.
“The investigators are facing no obstacles,” Yermak wrote in a post on the messaging app Telegram. He added that he was cooperating fully with them and his lawyers were present.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office are Ukrainian anti-corruption watchdogs.
Two of Yermak’s former deputies — Oleh Tatarov and Rostyslav Shurma — left the government in 2024 after watchdogs investigated them for financial wrongdoing. A third deputy, Andrii Smyrnov, was investigated for bribes and other wrongdoing but still works for Yermak.
The scandal has heaped more problems on Zelenskyy as he seeks continued support from Western countries for Ukraine’s war effort and tries to ensure continued foreign funding. The European Union, which Ukraine wants to join, has told Zelenskyy he must crack down on corruption.
Zelenskyy faced an unprecedented rebellion from his own lawmakers earlier this month after investigators published details of their energy sector investigation.
In July, Zelenskyy faced the first major protests against himself and his government since Russia launched its full-scale invasion over a bill he signed into law giving Ukraine’s prosecutor general, a political appointee roughly equivalent to the U.S. attorney general, more power over the two anti-corruption agencies.
Some critics argued that the new law was political retribution following the charges being filed against his former deputy Smyrnov, and the move fueled concern that Ukraine could backslide into some degree of the authoritarianism that was the default under former, pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was known for his close ties to oligarchs.
Although Yermak has not been accused of any wrongdoing, several senior lawmakers in Zelenskyy’s party said Yermak should take responsibility for the energy sector scandal in order to restore public trust. Some said that if Zelenskyy didn’t fire him, the party could split, threatening the president’s parliamentary majority. But Zelenskyy defied them.
The president urged Ukrainians to unite and “stop the political games” in light of the U.S. pressure to reach a settlement with Russia.
Yermak met Zelenskyy over 15 years ago when he was a lawyer venturing into the TV production business and Zelenskyy was a famous Ukrainian comedian and actor. He oversaw foreign affairs as part of Zelenskyy’s first presidential team and was promoted to chief of staff in February 2020.
