Zelensky fires Chief of Staff after home raid in expanding corruption probe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, after anti-corruption investigators searched the senior official’s home as part of a major corruption investigation shaking Kyiv’s political establishment.
The decision lands during a critical phase of negotiations with the United States over a proposed framework to end the war with Russia.
Zelensky announced the removal in his daily address, stating that the Office of the President would undergo restructuring and confirming that Yermak had submitted his resignation.
Minutes later, a presidential decree formally ended Yermak’s tenure, as Zelensky expressed gratitude for Yermak’s work representing Ukraine internationally and said he would meet candidates for the role the following day.
Yermak, long viewed as one of the president’s closest and most influential advisers, had drawn increasing public attention for the degree of sway he held within the administration.
On this regard, Zelensky urged Ukrainians to remain united amid mounting scrutiny of the office.
The dismissal came hours after the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office conducted a search at Yermak’s residence.
The Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Commission confirmed the operation, describing it as part of an ongoing high-profile investigation.
Yermak acknowledged the search on Telegram, saying investigators had been given full access and that his legal representatives were cooperating completely.
In this regard, European Commission spokesperson Paula Pino said the action demonstrated that Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions were functioning independently.
The probe centers on what authorities describe as one of the most serious corruption schemes uncovered during Zelensky’s presidency—a $100 million embezzlement operation in the energy sector revealed earlier in November, as the scandal has already led to the dismissal of two government ministers.
Yermak had been set to head Ukraine’s delegation to upcoming talks with US officials concerning a new US proposal aimed at ending the conflict with Russia.
A senior Ukrainian official confirmed that meetings were expected over the weekend, potentially in Florida, so with Yermak’s being sacked, his participation in the talks is now considered impossible.
Commenting to the issue, the former Russian president and current Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev used the development to attack Kyiv’s leadership, describing the dismissal as evidence of “collapsing power” and again questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy.
His comments echoed longstanding Russian narratives targeting Ukraine’s government.
