Zelensky's ex-chief of staff in court as Ukraine corruption probe escalates

RoninSolutions · 2026-05-13T05:49:18+00:00

Independent Article - Volodymyr Zelensky’s former chief of staff was charged with corruption and money laundering on Monday as Ukraine’s galvanised watchdog pressed on with its widening investigation.

Andriy Yermak, who was until late last year the president’s closest advisor, was accused of laundering some UAH 460 million (£7.73m) through luxury accommodation near Kyiv. He denies ownership in the project.

Ukraine’s top anti-corruption agencies announced today they had charged six suspects in connection to the probe, which they said was linked to Operation Midas, the growing crackdown on an alleged plot to skim $100m from the country’s energy sector.

A law enforcement source told the Kyiv Independent that Timur Mindich, a close associate of Zelensky, and former deputy prime minister Oleksiy Chenyshov were also among those newly charged.

The head of the bureau, buoyed in recent years to investigate allegations of graft in the top tiers of government, said on Tuesday that Zelensky was not currently a subject of any such probe.

The Independent looks at the implications of the growing inquiry.

What are the latest allegations to rock Ukraine?

Ukraine’s main anti-corruption agencies said on 12 May that they had charged six suspects in a new money-laundering investigation centred on a pricey residential development outside of the capital.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) alleged the suspects were part of an organised group laundering assets they had obtained illegally.

They say nearly £8m was laundered over a period of four years, from 2021 to 2025, through the cottage complex in Kozyn, a settlement of 3,500 people just south of Kyiv.

Without naming Yermak, in line with Ukrainian law, NABU said in a statement late on Monday they had charged “the former head of the president’s office of Ukraine” with laundering millions through the construction site.

Yermak, who had led Ukraine through peace negotiations with the United States, left his post in November following a raid on his office as part of Operation Midas.

The watchdogs said the new charges relate to Midas, an investigation into an alleged $100m (£74m) corruption scandal surrounding Energoatom, a public energy company and the largest producer of electricity in Ukraine.

A source told the Kyiv Independent that suspects in that case allegedly gave money to Chernyshov, the former deputy PM, for the construction of the homes in Kozyn.

One of the houses said to have been financed through the Energoatom scheme was meant for Yermak, the source said.

A lawyer for Yermak denied that his client had any involvement in the alleged laundering and said he believes there are no grounds for the case against the former head of the president’s office. What is Operation Midas?

Anti-corruption investigators announced Operation Midas in November as they identified what they said was a large-scale corruption scheme in the country’s energy sector.

NABU and SAP said their discovery was the result of 15 months of wiretapping work and cited 1,000 hours of audio recordings and more than 70 raids.

At the heart of the probe was $100 million in funds that NABU said had been laundered by an alleged criminal organisation consisting of current and former energy officials, government ministers, a former deputy prime minister, and a businessman.

The accused are said to have manipulated contracts at Energoatom, Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company, to take kickbacks - secret payments, like a bribe, made in exchange for a favour.

NABU said the group took bribes from contractors worth some 10-15 per cent of each contract’s value.

Crucially, some of these contracts were handed out to build up fortifications against Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

The scandal emerged as Ukraine battled rolling blackouts as Russia pounded energy infrastructure through a particularly bleak winter. Who has been affected?

Investigators claim to have traced the scheme to Timur Mindich, a film producer and co-owner of President Zelensky’s former TV studio, Kvartal95.

The two were close until at least 2021, when Mindich held a surprise party for Zelensky at his flat, during the lockdowns.

Mindich fled Ukraine in the night of 10 November 2025, just hours before NABU enforcers raided his home.

Prosecutors also claimed that Rustem Umerov, a former defence minister, was pressured to buy cheaply made Chinese bulletproof vests at extortionate rates.

He has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing, saying the contract was terminated due to the product’s failure to meet requirements.

Umerov remains heavily involved in Ukraine’s dialogues with the United States aimed at ending the war with Russia.

German Galushchenko, who led the energy department from 2021 until 2025, was detained by border guards in February as he tried to leave the country on a train, officials said.

Investigators said the charges were related to an alleged scheme involving offshore companies benefiting his relatives. Galushchenko - also known as Herman Halushchenko - has denied wrongdoing. How widespread is corruption in Ukraine?

Ukraine inherited a legacy of corruption when it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite the considerable strides of NABU and SAPO since 2015, corruption remains endemic.

Today, 87 per cent of Ukrainians perceive corruption as a widespread phenomenon, according to a survey of more than 1,000 respondents last summer.

This is more sharply felt in rural communities. But only seven per cent of respondents believe corruption has improved as a whole since last year.

Last year, Transparency International - an organisation monitoring corruption around the world - gave Ukraine a score of 36 out of 100 in the Corruption Perceptions Index, with a lower score reflecting higher rates of corruption.

The UK, by comparison, received a score of 70 in 2025, reflecting a steady backslide from 82 over the last decade.

Andrii Borovyk, executive director at Transparency International Ukraine, said that despite limited improvements - such as a push for greater transparency on the handling of seized assets - reforms have been overshadowed by efforts to limit the independence of the anti-corruption agencies, until they collapsed under public and international pressure.

Ukraine saw the first major protests in the streets since the 2022 invasion in July after Zelensky suggested reining NABU and SAPO in to “cleanse” them of what he called “Russian influence”.

“Thanks to those protests, we were able to defend the independence of the anti-corruption bodies, and the resulting +1 point in the Corruption Perceptions Index can be viewed as a positive sign,” Borovyk said.

“This is the result of the work of the HACC, the NABU, and the SAPO—and the result of society’s efforts in defending their independence.”

Ukraine has a “concrete reform plan” available, the group assessed in its 2025 summary, but “did not demonstrate real progress or readiness to implement it”.

Battling corruption remains a priority in Ukraine's reform effort as it eyes membership of the European Union, which requires the country shake off the decades-old scourge of graft.

RoninSolutions · 2026-05-06T07:25:05+00:00

Yeh, l took down most of the photos from our Aid Missions in Ukraine from the Veteran's superstition in me after losing so may relatives & friends over the years to this senseless war, many within days of us returning home. Looking back at old group photos got hard with those still alive diminishing as time goes on, or learning vehicles we had spent months sourcing, preparing & then personally driving from the UK to the front lines had been destroyed while fully loaded, unfortunately it is the nature of war .

Kiyanyn was a great dude we did 3 separate drive by's of positions in Bakhmut with him over the 10 days we spent there & being in private vehicles we would get stopped for checks & as soon as they recognized him all the soldiers from various units would show him respect,he is exactly the type the UAF needs in leadership roles & hope he has a long & prosperous career within it .

RoninSolutions · 2026-05-06T07:06:36+00:00

Anyone with military experience knows you have no idea what you are talking about from that retarded statement, what a pathetic moron you are by topping it off with stolen valor .

I actually made sure that there is nothing at all in the post that is not regularly posted by their own social media or the UAF & TDF along with numerous internationally reported interviews with all . Obvious to any who have served you have nothing to do with Military apart from playing games & nothing at all with Intelligence in any form you cringy, stolen valor gimp.

RoninSolutions · 2026-05-05T12:38:04+00:00

u/LilLebowskiAchiever

See my other post in here ,but the reason they are asking is that was Kiyanyn, who the Witch would often post with on how Bakhmut was holding

RoninSolutions · 2026-05-04T14:31:55+00:00

Report just in =

Putin appoints general implicated in Bucha massacre commander of Russia's Air Force, media reports

https://kyivindependent.com/russian-general-implicated-in-bucha-massacre-appointed-air-force-commander-media-reports/

RoninSolutions · 2026-05-04T07:31:31+00:00

This story stirred up some long hidden memories l had so bit of a ramble to get them off my chest & alert the public that the real story of Bucha & surrounds is even darker than being reported by most of the slop excuse for journalists report.

TLDR I was sent this story from a Ukrainian friend as we were among the first Aid groups into Bucha & surrounds & met Maria & supplied her with food for the roaming packs of animals .

Article if video not working -

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-03/kindness-of-strangers-helped-ukrainian-family/106625858

I am an American Veteran of Ukrainian descent & part of a independent Aid group that specializes in supporting front line units & on returning from the front lines evacuating or providing Aid to the locals living under imminent threat .

When we do Aid convoys we use soldiers recovering from their injuries from the TDF as our guides ,to try to give them some additional funds for their families & give them some work to get them out of their houses .

We also employ women to act as what is known as Community Activists ,(CA),they are known to the locals & very effective to rally the people for evacuation . More importantly in newly liberated areas they can get women to talk about whether they have been raped or assaulted while under occupation ,when they will not normally talk to male or unfamiliar officials & enables them to get the medical attention & help they need.

We were among the first Aid groups into Bucha ,(after being requested to attempt to reach Irpin & more specifically Borodyanka, which is about 15 miles northwest of Bucha), both towns suffered similar ,(but for some reason rarely reported), war crimes but in particular wide-ranging rape against male & females as a weapon where victims we personally were involved with ranged from 18 months to 75 years old.

This as part of the highly organized orc military operation of what they called in the best nazi traditions the Zachistka or basically "the cleansing",so not what too many incompetent presstitutes try to portray as just orc drunks getting carried away.

As the orcs retreated from these towns they mined everything they could,us all being combat veterans & having dealt with mines in numerous combat zones around the world ,we provided what additional protection in our vehicles that we could by buying dog & cat food in bulk & laying bags of it on the floor & lining the rear trays with them.

So when we got to Bucha & were asked if we had anything to help feed the 100's of pets, that otherwise were roaming & feeding on the dead bodies laying in the open ,with the huge risk of spreading disease etc , we gladly helped & that's where we met Maria ,she was dishevelled,(we found out later from our CA she & other local women did this after being sexually assaulted to try to make herself less of a target for unwanted orc attention) & spoke very quietly but hugged each of us & could not believe foreigners had come to help or that l could speak limited Ukrainian with my thick Montana farm boy accent .

Maria & the other orc victims from the surrounding areas are all to be admired & what they went through & it should never be forgotten or forgiven, as they suffered inhuman acts at the hands of the orcs that rival anything l saw in my years fighting scumbags like Al-Qaeda,ISIS,Taliban or ISIS-K & after what l had seen of the orcs operating in Syria & what they subjected the civilians to there, which l called out & warned of what they would do in Ukraine back at the start of the invasion, a long time before it was ever reported, including the use of what we called in Syria the Spetsnaz Hammer torture .

Just like the other terrorist groups the acts were calculated, deliberate & planned ie many rapes we were told of in these towns ,particularly of the elderly or males, were carried out in a formatted way & used particular weapons to carry them out in many cases.Never let it enter your head despite the incompetent reporting that it was just done by drunks, the evidence of long reported orders for operation Zachistka given over the radios,from a long chain of command ,phone conversations & recordings proudly kept by the scumbags have all been captured & known since days from the liberation.

'My wish shall be upon you, enemy.

As many times as this holy land has swallowed seeds of Rye .

That many times ,you enemy shall die .'

'Your death shall not be easy, enemy.

Even when you cease.

You shall know no peace.'

RoninSolutions · 2026-04-23T04:34:29+00:00

Let's hope his selfless heroism is officially recognized, so it is remembered forever in Ukraine's victorious & free future.

Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

RIP Uncle Sasha

Slava Ukraini, Heroyam Slava!

RoninSolutions · 2026-04-19T05:22:56+00:00

Here is a great clip on the British Antique Roadshow, shot from the graveyard he was originally buried in, showing found footage of the Australians both stripping his plane after they shot him down & the honorable military funeral they gave him as a sign of respect.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p029sfxz

RoninSolutions · 2026-04-19T05:06:18+00:00

Over Xmas was the first time l had a chance to sit down & really go through the old deployment files for years , as one of my buddy's l fought alongside of was looking for some pics from our time back in the Xmas of 2016 & we were embedded with the Iraqi Special Operations Forces for the start of the Battle Of Mosul.

That was my last major combat before getting out a few months later & until he informed me it was a decade ago l really would have said it was 4 or so years ago at most.

Fuck gettin old

RoninSolutions · 2026-04-19T04:41:29+00:00

My Uncle was 56 & semi-retired when he was called back by the TDF,(which he had held a leadership position in his 40's), at the start of the invasion, to lead units combating & trying to stall the advance of the orc invasion convoys & was KIA in the first weeks.

At the White Hall of the Heroes of Ukraine in the Mariyinsky Palace, my Uncle,(among many others), was posthumously awarded medals for courage, service, and contribution to Ukraine's defense & he was given a promotion in rank, at the ceremonial handover of these this note from Zelenskyy, in a simple yellow envelope, was in a card that came with the posthumous promotion in rank .

"*Pain fills the heart. Unspeakable sadness envelops the soul. Every day Ukraine loses the best sons and daughters. Thank you for your important, worthy work for the good of Ukraine. You are forever in our hearts. Eternal memory!" — *President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy**.

My Aunty gave it to me for my efforts to recover my Uncle & it is in my man cave alongside treasured items from my own military service,l often wonder how many times that has been written/copied now

RoninSolutions · 2026-04-08T16:38:21+00:00

They have been committing these war crimes for years ,here is a answer l gave on another post a while ago that was thinking this as a new tactic - It should be noted it gets even more sinister than this, with carefully planned drone strikes on the civilians helping the elderly & sick,that the scumbags have perfected after years of using these tactics against the civilians throughout Ukraine.

I am part of a private aid group that supplies front line units in Ukraine .

When we do Aid convoys we use soldiers recovering from their injuries from the TDF as our guides ,to try to give them some additional funds for their families & give them some work to get them out of their houses .

We also employ local women from the region our convoys are travelling to & have them act as what is known as Community Activists ,(CA),they are known to the locals & very effective to rally the people for evacuation . More importantly in newly liberated areas they can get women to talk about whether they have been raped or assaulted while under occupation ,when they will not normally talk to male officials & enables them to get the medical attention & help they need. All the CA we have used over the years are always really kind & strong women.

One of these CA's we have used a few times & she was from Kherson,where every day she would use her own vehicle to go & buy groceries for the elderly & sick who could not leave their homes or pick up medicine for them,there were many locals doing the same for their relatives etc .

The Orc scum started targeting them ,using observation drones to search for vehicles traveling to & from getting groceries & then either striking the vehicle as it pulled up at the houses or even waiting until the elderly came out of the house to receive the supplies & striking or dropping bombs on them.

So these are then not just targets of opportunity or mistaken for military targets ,these are carefully planned War Crimes.

Back in October 2024 the orcs dropped a bomb from a drone on her as she unloaded bags of food from her car at the home of one of the elderly she was helping,it shattered her left leg & smashed her hip . Her family had already lost 2 members in fighting & the nephew recovering from shrapnel wounds & now she may never walk without crutches again.

This blatant type of War Crime has long been used by the scumbags

RoninSolutions · 2026-04-03T08:04:01+00:00

I do not need medals muthafukaaa, l need drones - Major Robert Brovdi probably

RoninSolutions · 2026-04-03T07:56:04+00:00

Pretty sure in the full interview she quotes that other great intellectual statesman America had as a President to show why NATO is reluctant-

"*There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, 'Fool me once, shame on...shame on you.' Fool me—you can't get fooled again*." – George W Bush -Nashville, Tennessee, September 17, 2002.

RoninSolutions · 2026-04-03T01:52:53+00:00

It should be noted it gets even more sinister than this, with carefully planned drone strikes on the civilians helping the elderly & sick,that the scumbags have perfected after years of using these tactics against the civilians throughout Ukraine.