Andriy Yermak: how Zelensky’s right hand fell from power

Andriy Yermak was a constant and menacing presence in Ukraine’s government: a seemingly immovable figure on the political stage.

Despite his imposing figure, you may not have always seen him. However, wherever President Volodymyr Zelensky was, Yermak was often not far away.

As head of his cabinet, Yermak wielded enormous power at the top of the government and was even trusted to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine in peace talks with the United States.

But as his influence grew, so did public resentment over the power held by this unelected official. His political career came to an abrupt end on Friday, hours after anti-corruption investigators raided his kyiv home.

Yermak and Zelensky met in 2011, when the former was an intellectual property lawyer and the latter a television producer.

After working together during the successful 2019 presidential campaign, Yermak became Zelensky’s chief of staff. He stood next to the president as he delivered his now-famous “we’re still here” speech as the Russians descended on kyiv at the start of their full-scale invasion in February 2022.

As Zelensky concentrated his power over time, Yermak was widely seen as the second most powerful person in Ukraine. He reportedly helped shape foreign policy, overthrew political rivals, and even made decisions on the battlefield.

Ukrainian politics are shaped by great figures, and the Zelensky administration had not one, but two of them.

Despite the favorable conditions Yermak enjoyed within the sprawling Presidential Office, the same could not be said outside its steep walls.

His popularity was plummeting.

Zelensky had successfully dealt with corruption scandals in the past, but in July began a chain of events that has shaken the current government to its core, weakening it politically and costing it its right hand.

That month, the president convinced parliament to formally remove the independence of Ukraine’s two anti-corruption bodies and place them under direct government control.

At the time, Zelensky said it was to limit Russian interference.

But the public – as well as the European Union – did not agree, and was forced to turn around after massive demonstrations.

In the fall, those same agencies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (Sapo), published the findings of a lengthy investigation involving members of Zelensky’s inner circles.

Senior figures, including two ministers, a former deputy prime minister and a former business partner of Zelensky, were accused of diverting $100m (£75m) from public projects in the energy sector.

At a time when Russia is attacking Ukraine’s energy grid with missiles and drones ahead of a fourth winter of war, forcing the entire country to endure daily power outages, public anger over these corruption allegations has skyrocketed.

On Friday night alone, kyiv suffered a nearly 11-hour Russian airstrike, leaving more than half a million people without power.

“We are going through one of the most difficult times in our history,” Kyiv resident Iryna told the BBC this week. “Unfortunately, many families will not see their loved ones, their men, brothers or husbands, because of the war.”

Despite not being named a suspect and denying any involvement in the plot, Andriy Yermak was unable to distance himself.

There was a suspicion that maybe he knew something.

Local media reported on Saturday that investigators were searching through several laptops and mobile phones they had confiscated from his apartment during the search.

Yermak led talks last week with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Geneva, apparently securing some concessions for his country in a US-drafted peace proposal that many feared would greatly favor Russia.

At a time when Ukraine is fighting and negotiating for its own survival, his resignation is hugely destabilizing.

Talks will continue next week. Ukraine’s presidential office said Saturday that Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was leading a delegation heading to the United States.

What is not known is whether this will be a timely restart for kyiv or a costly lack of continuity.

It is also not known how Yermak takes his sudden departure from the government. The New York Post reported Saturday that he had texted his newspaper and promised to go to the front. He also declared his innocence.

“I am going to the front and I am prepared for any retaliation,” he reportedly said. “I am an honest and decent person.”

But there is a sense that Yermak’s departure is a sign of positive change.

“Let’s call it what it is: good news,” says Olga Rudenko, editor of the Kyiv Independent.

“Think about it: a young democracy like Ukraine has independent institutions that are strong enough to investigate the most powerful man in the country, and to do so during war.

“People who support Ukraine around the world do not support a place on the map, but a place that lives by certain values ​​and fights for them. Today we see these values ​​in action.

“This shows why Ukraine is exactly the country worth supporting.”

Additional reporting by Toby Luckhurst