Ukrainian Court Eases Travel Restrictions on Ex-Top Zelensky Official Yermak
Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court eased travel restrictions on former Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak, who is suspected of laundering criminal proceeds through an elite housing development near Kyiv. The court expanded the regions where Yermak can travel without separate permission but rejected a request to remove his electronic monitoring.
On August 10, Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) relaxed travel restrictions for former Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak, who faces allegations of laundering criminal funds through the construction of an upscale residential complex near Kyiv. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) revealed that the court partially accepted Yermak’s defense team’s request and modified the procedural obligations placed upon him.
This decision permits Yermak to travel within several Ukrainian regions without the need for separate permission from investigators, prosecutors, or the court. Prior to this ruling, Yermak had to obtain prior approval before leaving Kyiv or the surrounding Kyiv region. The court has broadened the geographical limit to include the Kyiv, Kyiv region, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions. Travelers are also now allowed to pass through additional regions.
Yermak’s legal team argued that the expanded travel area was essential because he is involved in a project offering legal support to Ukrainian military personnel. However, the prosecutors disagreed, asserting that the original restrictions did not hinder Yermak’s participation in the project, and that he serves as its manager instead of a lawyer directly aiding in legal matters.
The defense also sought the removal of Yermak’s electronic monitoring device, but the judge denied this request, implying that he must continue wearing the monitoring device. SAPO reported that the defense’s plea to lift the electronic monitoring aligned with several similar letters from military commanders supporting Yermak’s case.
Yermak is one of several individuals under investigation in a case concerning the alleged laundering of over Hr.460 million ($11 million) via the construction of an elite housing development in Kozyn, Kyiv region. According to NABU and SAPO, the alleged scheme operated between 2021 and 2025 and entailed a former deputy prime minister and a businessman, among others.
Authorities claim that funds procured from criminal activities were utilized to finance the construction project. Yermak has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Under Ukrainian law, he is considered innocent until proven guilty through a final court conviction.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
