Ukraine officials name Zelenskyy’s ex-chief of staff as a suspect in money-laundering probe
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Two national anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine have named the former chief of staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as an official suspect. large graft research.
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced late Monday: Andriy Yermak He is suspected of being involved in a money laundering scheme worth 460 million hryvnia ($10.5 million).
The announcement coincided with but was not linked to the end of a three-day holiday. US brokered ceasefire HE reduced the fight But they didn’t manage to stop it completely invasion of Russia Its neighbor Syria is entering its fifth year and there is no sign of a peace deal in the offing.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine offered to extend the pause in hostilities. But on Tuesday, Russia reportedly launched more than 200 drones into Ukraine overnight, hitting civilian infrastructure and killing at least one person and injuring six others.
“It is time to strengthen our positions and force Moscow to end the war,” Sybiha told X. Russian President Vladimir Putin “must understand that the situation will only get worse for him.”
Western analysts say Ukraine’s battlefield position has improved recently, as it uses cutting-edge drone technology to keep Russia’s massive army at bay.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that its air defense intercepted 30 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions bordering Ukraine.
Zelenskyy met with the CEO of the US company Palantir
Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he met with Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp in Kiev as part of Ukraine’s growing cooperation with the U.S. defense sector.
The Ukrainian leader said in his social media post that Ukraine and Palantir “can be beneficial to each other.”
“We discussed aspects of technological development in the context of both combat operations and civilian needs,” Zelenskyy said.
Palantir Technologies is a artificial intelligence Software company that helps global defense organizations. It specializes in software platforms that aggregate and analyze large amounts of data and has been partnering with Ukraine for several years.
AI can, among other things, help warriors quickly sift through and decipher large amounts of battlefield information, enabling more accurate attacks.
Graft investigation embarrassed Zelenskyy
Corruption investigators said in their announcement on the Telegram messaging application that the investigation against Yermak continues.
This move comes one step away from officially impeaching Yermak, who resigned in November. He was the country’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States and left the country during the scandal, which posed the biggest threat to Zelenskyy’s government since the all-out invasion of Russia.
The investigation is deeply embarrassing for the Ukrainian leader, who has been pushing for his country to be accepted as an EU member. member of the European UnionIt’s a process that will probably take years. Widespread corruption is one obstacle slowing Ukraine’s adoption.
Yermak was a trusted confidant of Zelenskyy and resisted persistent pressure to replace him and was a powerful figure in the government.
Zelenskyy did not publicly comment on the anti-corruption organizations’ announcement, but press spokesman Dmytro Lytvyn said “the investigation is ongoing, it is premature to draw conclusions.”
Charges against Yermak could take months
Investigators said Yermak was suspected of being involved in money laundering through construction projects near Kiev, Ukraine’s capital. They searched his home in November. No other suspects have been named.
Yermak’s lawyer, Ihor Fomin, said the report of suspicion was unfounded and denied that his client was involved in the alleged laundering of 460 million hryvnia through an elite construction project outside Kiev.
“In my opinion, this whole situation was provoked by public pressure,” Fomin said in an interview with Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.
It could still be months before a decision is made on whether formal charges will be brought against Yermak.
At the time of Yermak’s resignation, Zelenskyy said he had reopened the presidential office and thanked Yermak for his work in the peace negotiations.
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