Zelenskyy’s ex-top aide arrested as Ukraine graft probe widens
NBC News • • world
Key Points:
- Ukraine’s anti-corruption court ordered the arrest of Andriy Yermak, a close ally of President Zelenskyy and former head of his administration, on money-laundering charges, setting bail at $3.19 million; Yermak denies the allegations and plans to appeal.
- Yermak is suspected of involvement in laundering around $10.5 million through an elite housing development near Kyiv, marking the closest anti-corruption officials have come to Zelenskyy’s inner circle.
- The charges are unlikely to immediately threaten Zelenskyy but could damage his reputation ahead of possible re-election, with prosecutors stressing the president is not implicated.
- The court decision coincided with a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv and other regions, resulting in at least five deaths and significant destruction, including a collapsed residential building in Kyiv.
- Russian strikes continued despite recent peace talks and a brief ceasefire, with Ukrainian officials urging international pressure on Moscow to end the war, while the Kremlin downplayed the impact and maintained a hardline stance.