News
Andriy Yermak, the embattled Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has submitted his resignation. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the news earlier today, thanking Yermak for his service and for “always presenting Ukraine’s position in the negotiation track exactly as it needed to be.” Zelensky added that a “reset” is planned in the presidential office.
Earlier in the day, law enforcement searches were conducted at Yermak’s premises. “The NABU and SAPO are carrying out investigative actions (searches) at the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine,” the anti-corruption agencies reported. It later emerged that no charges had been brought against him.
It has not been officially disclosed which case the ongoing actions are related to, but they are unfolding against the backdrop of a major corruption scandal in Ukraine’s energy and defense sectors. The scandal began to escalate on Nov. 10 when searches were conducted at the properties of businessman Timur Mindich, a long-time associate of Zelensky's and co-owner of the Kvartal 95 media production studio, which Zelensky founded in 2003. According to NABU and SAPO, Mindich headed a criminal group that orchestrated a large-scale corruption scheme at the state enterprise Energoatom, which operates Ukraine’s three nuclear power plants. The investigation claims that participants in the scheme received “kickbacks” from contractors amounting to 10–15% of contract sums. The money was laundered through an office in central Kyiv, where the “black” accounts were serviced, and funds were routed through a network of foreign companies. Investigators estimate that around $100 million passed through this “laundromat.” At least five people have already been detained in connection with the case, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and ex-adviser to the Minister of Energy Ihor Mironiuk.
According to NABU and SAPO, the investigation lasted 15 months. Over a thousand audio recordings were collected, including surveillance conducted at Mindich’s apartment. The operation was named “Midas.” Case materials mentioned Volodymyr Zelensky and National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, who testified as a witness on Nov. 25, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Holos MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak stated that Andriy Yermak could also have been involved in the Mindich case. According to Zhelezniak, in the recordings obtained by investigators, the head of the Office of the President appears under the nickname “Ali-Baba” (a code name purportedly derived from the initials of Yermak’s first name and patronymic, “Andriy Borysovych”). Zhelezniak has alleged that Yermak was aware of the ongoing operations and could have known about the corruption schemes and maintained contact with Mindich, who had previously lobbied for Yermak’s appointment as head of the presidential office.