The former chief of the presidential administration in Ukraine and the most influential advisor to Volodymyr Zelensky, Andrii Yermak, stated that he intends to go to the front after resigning from his position in the context of a major corruption investigation.
„I am going to the front and I am prepared for any reprisals. I am an honest and decent person,” Yermak said in a letter he sent to the New York Post, as reported by Kyiv Independent.
Yermak's statements came after the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) searched his office on Friday as part of a comprehensive investigation into alleged embezzlement of funds at the state nuclear operator Energoatom.
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This is the largest corruption investigation during President Volodymyr Zelensky's term and has already led to the dismissal of the Ministers of Energy and Justice in Ukraine.
Yermak did not specify when he intends to enlist or if he will join the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In his letter, he emphasized that he resigned in order not to politically tarnish Volodymyr Zelensky's image.
"My dignity was not protected. Therefore, I do not want to cause problems for Zelensky; I am going to the front," Yermak said.
"Ali Baba"
Appointed in 2020, Yermak became one of the most powerful figures in the Ukrainian government, with influence spanning security, diplomacy, and domestic politics.
Despite long-standing criticisms, Zelensky has repeatedly defended him and rejected accusations that Yermak held excessive authority.
The independent publication Ukrainska Pravda reported on November 24, citing sources, that investigators included Yermak in the Energoatom case and referred to him as "Ali Baba".
The Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor of Ukraine, Oleksandr Klymenko, stated in early November that "Ali Baba" organized meetings and assigned tasks to law enforcement agencies in order to pressure NABU detectives and anti-corruption prosecutors.
The Energoatom case - which includes allegations of luxury property acquisitions funded through schemes, including one near the city of Kiev apparently intended for Yermak - has sparked calls within the president's circle to dismiss him to restore public trust.