Top Zelensky aide Yermak resigns after house raided in corruption probe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday his top aide Andriy Yermak had resigned after investigators raided the powerful chief of staff’s house as part of a sweeping corruption probe.

“The Office of the President of Ukraine will be reorganised. The head of the office, Andriy Yermak, has submitted his resignation,” Zelensky said in a video address, adding he would hold consultations with a possible replacement on Saturday.

Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities on Friday raided Yermak’s home as a massive corruption scandal embroils Kyiv.

Investigators earlier this month said they had uncovered a US$100 million kickback scheme in the strategic energy sector, triggering widespread public anger at a time when Russia is hammering Ukraine’s power grid, causing blackouts and threatening winter heating outages.

The resignation is another blow to Zelensky, who is facing a mounting Russian offensive in the east just as the United States, a crucial ally, tabled a surprise plan to end the war that heavily favoured Moscow.

Yermak, 54, was named Ukraine’s top negotiator in talks with Washington to refine that proposal, and analysts said the raids could hurt Kyiv’s position.