MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. A Kiev court ruled that former Vladimir Zelensky office head Andrey Yermak be jailed for 60 days pending trial, setting his bail at 140 million hryvnia (about $3.1 million). The judge announced the decision during a hearing broadcast by Ukrainian media outlets.
TASS has compiled the key details of the case.
Pre-trial detention and bail amount
- Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) in Kiev ordered Yermak to be put in detention for 60 days, allowing his release if a bail of 140 million hryvnia (about $3.1 million) is paid.
- Previously, the prosecutor’s office had requested bail be set at 180 million hryvnia ($4.1 million).
- After speaking with journalists, Yermak was taken into custody in the courthouse hallway.
- If released on bail, the former head of Zelensky’s office will be required to wear an electronic ankle monitor and will not be allowed to leave Kiev without permission from the court or investigators, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) noted.
- If released on bail, Yermak will be prohibited from communicating with his personal fortune-teller, Veronika Anikievich, the Ukrainian Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Action Center pointed out.
Yermak’s position
- Yermak stated that his defense would appeal the court’s decision regarding his pre-trial detention.
- He also said that he did not have the money to post bail.
- Yermak noted that he had "enough acquaintances and friends" who could post bail for him.
- He told reporters that he planned to bring only the bare essentials to the detention center.
- Earlier, in a conversation with journalists, Yermak denied promising to go to the front lines after resigning and denied quarreling with Zelensky.
- In a comment to the Novosti Live news outlet, he pointed out that when Zelensky dismissed him, there was no drama between the two, contrary to press reports.
- In addition, Yermak denied consulting fortune-tellers or having any ties to the occult.
- During the court hearing, the prosecutor read excerpts from correspondence in which Yermak sent the names of his political opponents to a fortune-teller and sought advice on personnel decisions.
- Following this, Ukrainian media tracked down a fortune-teller named Veronika. She turned out to be a 51-year-old resident of Kiev who runs an astrology Telegram channel in Russian.
- Back in January, Zelensky’s former press secretary, Yulia Mendel, noted that Yermak engaged in "magical rituals" and brought "spiritual practitioners" to Ukraine from abroad.
Bail issues
- Bail for Yermak could be posted by Asters, one of Ukraine’s largest law firms, which has previously provided services to government agencies, or by its lawyers, as well as by Yermak’s friend Roza Tapanova, Ukrainian journalist Mikhail Tkach reported on his Telegram channel.
- Bail for Yermak could be posted within the day, lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak noted.
- He stressed that the banks’ financial monitoring services may block some transactions for several days.
Charges filed
- Yermak became the head of Zelensky’s office in February 2020.
- On November 17, 2025, reports surfaced that Yermak might be involved in major corruption schemes related to Zelensky’s friend - businessman Timur Mindich.
- On the morning of November 28, anti-corruption officials searched Yermak’s residence. By evening, Zelensky had fired him.
- On May 11, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) charged Yermak with legalizing property obtained by criminal means by an organized group or on a large scale.
- He is accused of involvement in the laundering of 460 million hryvnia ($10.5 million) during the construction of luxury housing near Kiev.
- According to anti-corruption authorities, the Dinastia private residence construction project was launched in 2020, in which, according to investigators, Yermak participated.
- He faces up to 15 years in prison.