Andriy Yermak, a former chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has rejected corruption allegations against him, describing them as “unfounded” following a court hearing, reports RTE.
Mr Yermak, who was previously one of Mr Zelensky’s closest advisers, resigned in November 2025 after investigators searched his home as part of a major corruption investigation that shook Ukraine during the ongoing war, reports RTE.
“The notice of suspicion is unfounded,” Mr Yermak, 54, wrote on Telegram after the hearing, referring to a formal Ukrainian legal document that indicates an individual is suspected of a crime, reports RTE.
“As a lawyer with more than 30 years of experience, I have always been guided by the law. And now I will likewise defend my rights, my name, and my reputation,” he added, reports RTE.
Prosecutors allege that Mr Yermak was involved in the movement of around 460 million hryvnias (€8.9 million) as part of an organised criminal group, which they say included former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and ex-Zelensky business associate Timur Mindich, reports RTE.
“The individuals who used funds for the construction of objects on the territory of the ‘Dynasty’ cottage site, with respect to which the factual circumstances indicate that they were obtained by criminal means, planned to carry out further actions aimed at legalising such property,” a prosecutor said in court, reports RTE.
Mr Yermak denies all allegations. “I own only one apartment and one car,” he told journalists during a court break, reports RTE.
Shortly before the hearing, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies held a surprise press conference defending their investigation.
“Whenever we reach the stage of notifying a suspect of the charges, we are confident that we have gathered sufficient evidence to ensure that the charges will stand up in court,” said Semen Kryvonos, head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), reports RTE.
Mr Yermak resigned last year amid a broader investigation, known as Operation Midas, into an alleged large-scale corruption network involving senior officials, reports RTE.
Ukraine’s government had previously attempted to reduce the independence of NABU and SAPO, the two key anti-corruption bodies established after the 2014 pro-democracy revolution.
That move triggered rare wartime protests and was later reversed after pressure from the European Union, a key supporter of Kyiv, reports RTE.
Kremlin says no ‘specifics’ on ending Ukraine war despite Putin’s words
Separately, the Kremlin has said there is still no concrete roadmap to end the war in Ukraine, despite recent remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin suggesting the conflict could be nearing its conclusion, reports RTE.
Moscow and Kyiv resumed strikes overnight following the end of a three-day ceasefire initiated by US President Donald Trump, with both sides accusing each other of violations, reports RTE.
Mr Putin had recently said the war was “heading to an end” without giving details, comments that caused uncertainty given the lack of progress in peace negotiations, reports RTE.
The Kremlin later clarified that there were “no specifics” behind those remarks, reports RTE.
“The president said that Russia remains open to contact and that work has been done in a trilateral format,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, reports RTE.
He added that while some groundwork for peace discussions exists, it is not possible to speak of any concrete agreement or timeline, reports RTE.
Mr Putin has also said he would only meet Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky outside Russia if it were to sign a final peace deal, reports RTE.
The comments came after a reduced Victory Day event in Moscow, amid signs of war fatigue within Russia and ongoing battlefield uncertainty.
Negotiations on ending the war have made little progress, even as some hoped US-led diplomatic efforts might restart after Mr Trump’s ceasefire announcement, reports RTE.
The war, which has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, continues with both sides launching fresh attacks after the temporary truce expired.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from parts of the Donbas region it still controls as a condition for peace, a demand Kyiv has rejected.
Ukraine said Russia launched more than 200 drones after the ceasefire ended, damaging infrastructure and killing at least one person, reports RTE.
“The humanitarian ceasefire is over. The special military operation is continuing,” Mr Peskov said, using Russia’s official term for the invasion, reports RTE.
Ukraine said it also carried out retaliatory strikes, with Russian air defences claiming to have downed 27 drones after the truce expired.
President Zelensky accused Russia of ending the pause in fighting, saying overnight attacks showed no willingness to end the war, reports RTE.
He said: “Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire”, reports RTE.
The Kremlin countered that it was Ukraine that had violated the truce and escalated fighting, reports RTE.
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