Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has resigned after anti-corruption investigators searched his apartment earlier in the day.
Yermak, one of Zelensky's closest allies and the head of the presidential office since 2020, had been leading the latest round of peace negotiations with the United States. Zelensky praised his work but said Ukraine "cannot afford distractions" as it seeks to maintain United States support while resisting Russian territorial demands.
Anti-corruption agencies confirmed they were conducting investigative actions at Yermak's residence as part of a widening probe into an alleged kickback scheme involving Energoatom, the state nuclear operator. Several high-level figures, including long-time associates of the president, have been implicated. One of the suspected organisers, businessman Timur Mindich, left the country before investigators attempted to arrest him.
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