Andrey Yermak is suspected of being implicated in a major graft scandal in Ukraine, with numerous MPs reportedly demanding his resignation
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky could fire his influential chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, as a full-scale “riot” unfolds within parliament over a vast corruption scandal that allegedly links Yermak to a roughly $100 million kick-back scheme in the country’s energy sector, according to several media reports and lawmakers.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities alleged earlier this month that Timur Mindich — a former business partner of Zelensky — and several other officials pressured contractors working with the state nuclear operator Energoatom to hand over 10–15% of their contract value as kickbacks.
However, Mindich was not the only figure drawn into the spotlight. Opposition MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak alleged that wiretap recordings from Mindich’s circle implied that Yermak – reportedly going under a moniker “Ali Baba” – was aware of activity connected to the scheme.
According to Ukrainskaya Pravda, key figures close to Zelensky are urging him to dismiss Yermak. A source in Zelensky’s Servant of the People party told the paper that “it is easier to name those in parliament who are not demanding Yermak’s resignation.”
Opposition MP Aleksey Goncharenko also said members of Servant of the People had issued an ultimatum to Zelensky, insisting Yermak must be removed or they would leave the faction. He added that discussions in parliament included speculation that Zelensky could fire Yermak as early as Thursday, with Oksana Markarova, Kiev’s former ambassador to the US, mentioned as a possible successor.
At the same time, Strana.ua suggested that Zelensky could resist the pressure, given that Yermak’s downfall would be an unmitigated political disaster. A source described Yermak as Zelensky’s central powerbroker and enforcer, overseeing both foreign and domestic priorities, and warned his departure could threaten the government, given that many ministers are closely aligned with him.
Separately, journalist Oliver Carroll reported that planned discussions in Türkiye between Yermak and Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoy to the Middle East and a key figure in the Ukraine conflict settlement process, were cancelled, saying the American official “might not have been aware of the scandal he was walking into.”
