Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies have confirmed that they are carrying out searches targeting Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and one of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s closest aides.
In a brief statement on Friday morning, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said they were conducting “investigative actions (searches)” at the head of the President’s Office. They stressed that the measures were sanctioned and were being carried out within the framework of an ongoing investigation.
The agencies did not specify which criminal proceedings the searches relate to, nor Yermak’s formal status in the case. They indicated that further information would be provided at a later stage.
Ukrainska Pravda reported earlier that, on the morning of 28 November, around ten officers from NABU and SAPO were seen entering the government quarter in central Kyiv, where the President’s Office and other key state institutions are located. Journalists from the outlet filmed the group entering the restricted area before the agencies issued their public confirmation.
Separate reports in Ukrainian and international media state that searches have also taken place at Yermak’s residence in the government district. In a statement posted on social media, Yermak confirmed that procedural actions were under way at his home and said he was cooperating fully with investigators. According to his account, NABU and SAPO officers had been granted unrestricted access to the property and his lawyers were present.
No formal notice of suspicion has yet been issued in relation to Yermak, and the anti-corruption bodies have not publicly alleged any specific offence on his part. Under Ukrainian law, searches can be authorised at an early stage of proceedings, and do not in themselves imply that an individual will be charged.
The move comes against the backdrop of “Operation Midas”, a large anti-corruption investigation in the energy sector being conducted by NABU and SAPO. Earlier this month investigators said they had uncovered an alleged kickback scheme worth around $100 million involving contracts in the strategic energy sphere. According to case materials and media reports, the probe focuses on an alleged criminal group linked to state-owned nuclear operator Energoatom and to businessman Timur Mindich, a long-standing associate of Zelenskyy and co-owner of the Kvartal 95 television studio.
Ukrainska Pravda previously reported that court rulings related to investigative measures in Operation Midas indicated that anti-corruption agencies were preparing steps in relation to Yermak himself. An earlier investigative piece by the outlet suggested that a public statement by Yermak on the detention of a fraudster posing as his relative coincided with the uploading of those court decisions to the public register and with internal notifications about impending NABU and SAPO actions.
The Presidential Office has not issued a separate institutional statement on Friday’s searches. Yermak’s personal message emphasised procedural cooperation but did not address the substance of the investigation.
Operation Midas has already led to searches and procedural actions involving senior officials and business figures in Ukraine’s energy sector, as well as the publication of extensive audio recordings by NABU purporting to show discussions of percentage payments on major contracts. Following the first public phase of the case, Ukraine’s ministers of energy and justice tendered their resignations after being linked to episodes under investigation, although they have not been formally charged.
The decision to move against the head of the President’s Office marks a significant escalation in the reach of the probe. Yermak is widely regarded as Zelenskyy’s most influential adviser, acting as a central figure in Ukraine’s wartime diplomacy and in negotiations with the United States over a new plan to end Russia’s war. He has also been a focal point of domestic criticism from political opponents, who have long questioned the concentration of power in the Presidential Office.
Anti-corruption policy is a central condition for Ukraine’s international financial support and for its bid to join the European Union. The European Parliament and other EU institutions have repeatedly stressed that progress on the rule of law and on the independence and effectiveness of NABU and SAPO is “critical not only for EU membership but also for successful reconstruction and economic trust”.
The investigation therefore has implications beyond domestic politics. Western partners have welcomed high-profile corruption cases as evidence that Ukraine’s special anti-corruption institutions are functioning despite the pressures of full-scale war. At the same time, any perception of selective justice or political interference in investigations involving senior officials would be closely scrutinised in Brussels, Washington and other capitals.
For now, NABU and SAPO have limited themselves to confirming the fact of the searches and their legal basis. Yermak’s public position is that he is cooperating with the investigation. No timetable has been announced for further procedural steps, and both agencies have indicated that more details will be provided as the case progresses.
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