Ukraine's anti-corruption court places Zelenskyy's former chief of staff under arrest

Ukraine's anti-corruption court on Thursday ordered the arrest of Andriy Yermak, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former head of his administration, on money-laundering charges.

The court also set bail at 140 million hryvnias ($3.19 million), which would allow Yermak, who has denied the allegations against him, to be released pending a final ruling in his case.

"I don't have that kind of money, and my lawyer will now work with friends and acquaintances (to raise the money for bail)," Yermak told reporters after the court's decision.

"My legal team will file an appeal. We will use every legal avenue to seek justice and the truth."

Ukrainian authorities on Monday named Yermak as a suspect in a major corruption probe. His arrest was the closest that anti-corruption officials have come to the president's inner circle.

In a statement, Ukraine's anti-graft agencies said Yermak is suspected of participating in a criminal group that laundered around $10.5 million through an elite housing development outside the capital Kyiv.

Yermak was widely seen as Ukraine's second most powerful person after Zelenskyy, wielding outsize influence across much of Ukrainian politics despite holding an unelected position.

The former film producer and entertainment lawyer frequently appeared at the president's side at public events, and had also been Kyiv's lead negotiator in US-backed peace talks with Russia.

His resignation last year came amid a broader government shake-up aimed at restoring trust in the president's office, which has been shadowed by allegations of centralised power.

Charges against Yermak are not likely to pose an immediate threat to Zelenskyy, but could lead to longer-term reputational damage if he runs for re-election after the war, some analysts say.