Ukraine court orders arrest of Zelenskyy ally Andriy Yermak

Ukraine's anti-corruption court on Thursday ordered the pretrial detention of Andriy Yermak, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on suspicion of money laundering, according to prosecutors. Investigation widens to Zelenskyy inner circle Prosecutors accuse Yermak of involvement in a 460-million-hryvnia money-laundering scheme linked to a housing development outside Kyiv.

• The investigation is part of a broader probe by Ukraine's anti-graft agencies that investigators say involves officials and associates close to Zelenskyy in an alleged $100 million kickback scheme.
• Investigators allege the officials pressured contractors to pay up to 15% in kickbacks in exchange for construction business with Energoatom, the state-owned nuclear energy company.
• Yermak's home was raided in November 2025 as part of the investigation, according to authorities.

Watch next: Yermak later led Kyiv's team in tense US-backed peace negotiations and developed possible scenarios for a ceasefire to end Russia's war in Ukraine.