Prosecutors announced the investigation in a Telegram post late Monday, naming Yermak as a suspect in a money-laundering case tied to a luxury real estate development near Kyiv. Umerov, a key negotiator in U.S.-led diplomatic peace efforts, has been questioned as a witness and is not a suspect, prosecutors told a media briefing. Other senior figures, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov and businessman Tymur Mindich, are also “implicated,” they said.
The probe is one of the most serious corruption allegations to touch Zelenskyy’s inner circle since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Yermak, a trusted confidant who led Ukraine’s negotiations with Washington, resigned in November. Investigators searched his home that month, but a decision on formal charges could be months away.
Speaking to the public broadcaster Suspilne, Yermak’s attorney Fomin said: “In my view, this entire situation has been provoked by public pressure.” He denied the laundering charge outright. Zelenskyy’s press officer, Dmytro Lytvyn, said only: “The investigation is ongoing, it’s early to draw conclusions.”
The scandal threatens to undermine Kyiv’s arguments that it is serious about fighting graft—a condition European officials frequently cite as critical to advancing Ukraine’s EU accession bid.
On the war front, Zelenskyy met Tuesday with Karp, the CEO of Palantir, the U.S. artificial intelligence software company that has partnered with Ukraine for several years. “We discussed directions of technological development both in the context of combat operations and civilian needs,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the cooperation is giving Ukraine a technological edge, enabling detailed analysis of air attacks, AI tools for sifting reconnaissance data, and support for planning deep-strike operations on Russian soil. Separately, Ukraine and Palantir have built a platform for outside developers to train AI models on battlefield data, with more than 100 companies involved, Fedorov added.
A relative lull in hostilities during a three-day ceasefire brokered by the U.S. gave way to a new barrage overnight. Sybiha said Ukraine had been willing to extend the pause, but that Russia responded with more than 200 drone strikes, hitting civilian infrastructure. At least one person was killed and six wounded, he said. “It is time to strengthen our positions and force Moscow to end the war,” Sybiha added. “Putin must realize that it will only get worse for him.”
During a visit to the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions Tuesday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius assessed that “the Ukrainians really have momentum” at present. “Russia is having a phase of weakness, economically as well as in domestic political terms and on the battlefield,” Pistorius said, according to German news agency dpa.
Russia’s Defense Ministry separately said its air defenses intercepted 30 Ukrainian drones near the border. There was no immediate sign of broader ceasefire talks resuming.