Andriy Yermak, former Zelensky chief of staff, ordered detained before trial by Ukrainian court

A court in Ukraine specializing in anti-corruption cases ordered Andriy Yermak detained before trial on Thursday; Yermak is the former chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the order is the most significant legal action to date against a former member of the president’s inner circle.

The court set bail for Yermak at 140 million hryvnias ($3.2 million). He is suspected of involvement in a scheme to launder roughly $10.5 million through the development of "Dynasty," a luxury real estate project near the capital.

Yermak has denied the allegations. He stated in court that he does not have the personal funds required to post bail, and his defense team announced plans to appeal the ruling.

The detention order escalates a sprawling anti-corruption probe dubbed Operation "Midas." According to earlier reporting by OCCRP, investigators believe the illicit funds channeled into the luxury construction project are tied to a broader network of alleged kickbacks and money laundering connected to Energoatom, Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear energy operator.