Ukraine’s anti-graft police search home of Zelenskyy aide
Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities searched the home of Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powerful chief of staff, on Friday, deepening a political crisis as Kyiv faces U.S. pressure to accept terms for a potential peace deal with Russia.
Yermak confirmed that investigators were searching his apartment and said he was cooperating fully. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said the search was legally authorised and connected to an ongoing investigation, though they did not provide details, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The raid comes amid a separate probe into an alleged $100 million kickback scheme at the state atomic energy company, which has already implicated former officials and a past business partner of Zelenskyy.
Yermak, a longtime friend of the president and a central figure in Kyiv’s negotiations, has not been named a suspect. However, opposition lawmakers and some members of the ruling party have demanded his dismissal, calling this the most serious political crisis of wartime.
The search is expected to heighten tensions as Ukraine comes under increased international pressure to consider compromises in U.S.-backed peace proposals. Opposition parties urged Zelenskyy to brief parliament on the negotiating team’s mandate and red lines.
Russian forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine, and Moscow says it is close to seizing Pokrovsk. President Vladimir Putin has described a leaked 28-point U.S. proposal as a possible basis for future talks.
Yermak recently told The Atlantic that Ukraine would not surrender territory. Analysts say the search could weaken his position, with some suggesting Zelenskyy may soon be forced to appoint a new chief negotiator.
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