Ukraine’s political establishment was jolted this week when Andriy Yermak, one of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s closest and most influential allies, stepped down amid a sweeping anti-corruption investigation that has rapidly expanded into the highest levels of government. The resignation followed search operations conducted Friday by Ukraine’s top anti-graft bodies-the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO)-which targeted Yermak’s residence in connection with a high-stakes probe involving alleged multimillion-dollar kickbacks at the state-owned nuclear energy operator, Energoatom.

The departure of Yermak, widely regarded as Zelenskyy’s most powerful aide and, at times, de facto gatekeeper of Ukrainian politics, marks one of the largest political upheavals since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. His abrupt exit adds pressure to a government already navigating wartime demands, fragile public trust, and relentless scrutiny from Ukraine’s international partners who have tied financial support to demonstrable anti-corruption progress.

In a late-evening video address, Zelenskyy confirmed he had accepted Yermak’s resignation, stressing that the investigation would be “fully transparent” and that Ukraine would not allow external adversaries to exploit internal crises.

“All procedural actions will be conducted transparently, and everything will be checked internally,” Zelenskyy said. “Russia is eager for Ukraine to make mistakes, but we will not.”

The president acknowledged Yermak’s recent leadership role in Ukraine’s latest round of peace negotiations, framing his resignation as a necessary step to preserve institutional integrity. The government, he added, “must maintain discipline and stability” as the........

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