Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Agencies Name Former Presidential Chief of Staff as Suspect in Money-Laundering Case
Introduction
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have named Andriy Yermak, the former chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky, as a suspect in an investigation into financial misconduct.
Main Body
The current case focuses on a suspected money-laundering operation involving about 460 million hryvnias (approximately $10.5 million) used for a luxury housing project in Kozyn. This inquiry is part of 'Operation Midas,' a larger investigation into a $100 million theft scheme within Energoatom, the state-owned nuclear energy company. Investigators claim that a criminal group, including former government ministers and business partners, changed contracts to get illegal payments, some of which were used to fund the real estate project. Other people involved include former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and businessman Timur Mindich, who reportedly left the country before police could act. There has been significant tension between the government and anti-corruption agencies. While NABU and SAPO have become more effective, the executive branch previously challenged their independence, which led to public protests and international criticism. Furthermore, the administration tried to restructure these agencies, claiming they wanted to remove foreign influence; however, critics argued these moves were intended to reduce oversight. The scale of this problem is shown in Transparency International's 2025 index, where Ukraine scored 36 out of 100, and in surveys showing that 87% of the population believes corruption is widespread. At the same time, Ukraine is strengthening its defense relationship with the United States. President Zelensky recently met with the CEO of Palantir Technologies to use artificial intelligence for battlefield surveillance and planning. These technological updates are happening while the conflict continues, following the end of a short ceasefire and new large-scale drone attacks by Russian forces.
Conclusion
Andriy Yermak remains a suspect in the investigation, while the Ukrainian government continues to balance its anti-corruption goals with the needs of the ongoing war and its desire to join the European Union.
Learning
🧩 The 'B2 Bridge' Strategy: Moving from Simple to Complex Ideas
At the A2 level, you likely say: "The government is bad because there is corruption." To reach B2, you need to connect ideas using Contrasting Connectors.
Look at this specific part of the text:
"...claiming they wanted to remove foreign influence; however, critics argued these moves were intended to reduce oversight."
The Magic of "However" In A2, we use "but." In B2, we use "however" to create a professional pause. It signals to the reader: "I am about to give you the opposite side of the story."
Level Up Your Vocabulary Stop using "big" or "bad." Use these B2 Precision Words found in the article:
| A2 Word | B2 Upgrade | Context from Text |
|---|---|---|
| Big | Large-scale | "large-scale drone attacks" |
| Common | Widespread | "corruption is widespread" |
| Change | Restructure | "tried to restructure these agencies" |
Grammar Shift: The Passive Voice for Formal News Notice how the text says: "...some of which were used to fund the real estate project."
Why not say "They used the money"? Because in B2 English (especially in news and business), the action is more important than the person.
Quick Formula for you:
Object + Was/Were + Past Participle
Example: "The money was spent on houses" (B2) vs "They spent money on houses" (A2).