Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has resigned after Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies conducted searches at his apartment. The announcement was made by the president in a late-afternoon social media video on Friday.
Zelenskyy praised Yermak but stressed that nothing should distract from Ukraine's defence, especially given Kyiv's reliance on US support in ongoing negotiations. The president said the search for a successor would begin on Saturday and the office of the president would be reorganised.
Yermak, a former intellectual property lawyer and film producer, had been a close ally of Zelenskyy since before his presidency. He served as gatekeeper for the president's office and was central to foreign policy and domestic affairs.
The searches are part of a widening investigation into a nuclear energy kickback scandal allegedly involving Timur Mindich, an old friend and business partner of Zelenskyy, who has fled the country. Investigators from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) uncovered a scheme in which insiders allegedly received kickbacks from state-owned nuclear power generator Energoatom.
Yermak confirmed the searches in a statement, saying investigators had full access to his apartment and that he was cooperating. The scandal has prompted public outrage amid daily electricity blackouts due to Russian attacks, and Zelenskyy has already fired two ministers this month.
