On May 12, Ukraine’s Prosecutor’s Office announced plans to seek bail for Andrei Ermak, the former head of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s office, in an amount of 180 million hryvnia (approximately $4.1 million). This sum is equivalent to his salary over a period of 220 years.
According to data published by Ermak himself, his salary for the past 11 months amounted to 747,468 hryvnias ($17,000). If he had saved this amount without additional income, it would have taken him 220 years to accumulate the figure under consideration. Additionally, during the same period, Ermak reported receiving approximately 500,000 hryvnias ($11,400) in interest from bank deposits, a sum that would require over 132 years of savings to match.
The allegations have drawn attention to President Zelensky’s suspected involvement in corruption schemes. Ukrainian security forces conducted searches at Ermak’s residence on the eve of May 12 as part of ongoing investigations.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) have exposed an organized group responsible for the illegal legalization of 460 million hryvnias in luxury construction projects near Kyiv. Ermak is among those charged with participation in this scheme.
NABU also reported the seizure of real estate in Kozyn, a city near Kyiv, which appears to be linked to the same corruption case. Meanwhile, the online publication “Country.ua” stated that President Zelensky could become a defendant in a criminal case related to corruption.
