Andriy Yermak, the former chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, could soon leave pretrial detention after bail worth 140 million hryvnias, or about $3.2 million, was posted on his behalf, according to Ukraine’s state news agency UNIAN and the High Anti-Corruption Court. Yermak was detained on May 14 as part of an investigation into an alleged $10.5 million money-laundering scheme linked to the construction of a luxury residential complex near Kyiv.
The case has added to a widening corruption scandal in Ukraine and has drawn intense attention because of Yermak’s previous role as one of Zelenskyy’s closest aides. According to reporting from multiple outlets, the anti-corruption court set the bail amount as part of pretrial custody proceedings, which would allow him to be released pending further legal action.
Yermak has denied any wrongdoing, and the reports available so far do not indicate a court ruling on the merits of the allegations themselves. The current proceedings concern pretrial detention and bail, not a final verdict.
The developments come amid a broader anti-corruption crackdown in Ukraine. Earlier reporting has described a major corruption scandal that has reached senior figures in Zelenskyy’s circle, including cases involving alleged embezzlement in the energy sector and resignations by top ministers in response to public anger and official investigations. That broader context has increased scrutiny on the government’s handling of corruption cases during wartime.
The investigation into Yermak appears to be one of the latest high-profile episodes in that campaign. Reports say prosecutors suspect involvement in an organized laundering network, while the amount at issue has been described in some coverage as roughly 9 million euros or $10.5 million, depending on the source and conversion used. At this stage, the published reports indicate that he remains a suspect and that the case is still active.
For Zelenskyy, the matter is politically sensitive because Yermak was not just a senior bureaucrat but a central figure in the president’s inner circle. The case has therefore become part of a wider debate over corruption, accountability, and institutional trust in Ukraine as the country continues to face the pressures of war.