NABU Reveals Details of Commanders’ Letters Regarding Yermak’s Visits
22 August 07:36
In July and August 2026, commanders of military units sent 12 letters to the NABU regarding possible trips by Andriy Yermak, the former head of the Office of the President. The visits were explained as part of the former official’s participation in “Advocate,” a project providing free legal aid to military personnel.
This information is contained in the National Anti-Corruption Bureau’s response to a request from journalist Olena Tribushna. She published the document on her YouTube channel, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
NABU reported that the letters concerned permission for Yermak to visit the deployment sites of the relevant units, and also informed the Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office about his participation in the “Advocate” project.
Which military units contacted NABU
The published excerpt from NABU’s response lists the unit numbers A7051, A4447, A1126, A2120, A7788, A2167, A0224, 3017, A5006, A7049, and A4674.
According to journalists, these units are associated, in particular, with the 81st, 78th, 79th, and 25th Brigades of the Airborne Assault Forces, the 72nd, 33rd and 157th Mechanized Brigades, the 122nd Territorial Defense Brigade, the 3rd National Guard Brigade, and the 117th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade.
At the same time, the response mentions 12 letters, while the cited list contains 11 unit numbers. NABU has not publicly explained this discrepancy.
Why Commanders Invited Yermak
The command planned to organize in-person consultations for service members and their family members. Among the issues requiring direct communication with a lawyer, they cited family and inheritance matters.
According to the official description of “Advocate, ” this is a nationwide project providing systematic legal support to military personnel and their families. It offers free initial consultations through a network of lawyers assigned to specific units.
The project combines online inquiries with in-person consultations. Lawyers assist with issues related to military service, payments, status, reports, applications, complaints, and other legal procedures. Full legal representation in complex cases can be arranged through a separate agreement.
“Advocate” was launched by the Committee of the Ukrainian National Bar Association on the Protection of Victims of Russian Aggression. Andriy Yermak initiated the creation of the committee and serves as its chair.
Why Permits Were Required for Travel
The commanders’ requests are related to the procedural obligations imposed on Yermak within the framework of criminal proceedings.
Initially, the former head of the Presidential Office could not leave Kyiv or the Kyiv region without permission from a detective, prosecutor, or court. However, on August 10, the High Anti-Corruption Court partially granted the defense’s motion and expanded the permitted travel area.
Now, without separate approval, Yermak may remain in Kyiv, the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, as well as transit through other regions.
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office noted that one of the reasons for the defense’s appeal to the court was the simultaneous receipt of similar letters from military commanders. The prosecutor objected to easing the restrictions, emphasizing that Yermak serves as the project leader, not as a lawyer who is required to personally conduct all consultations.
The court also did not lift the requirement to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Why a Debate Arose Over “Advocate”
In August, all eight units of the National Guard’s 2nd Corps “Charter”—six brigades and two regiments—joined the program. Corps officials explained that participation is voluntary and is intended to strengthen legal support for personnel.
Corps Commander Ihor Obolensky also noted that Yermak had previously helped establish and support “Charter.” At the same time, Corps servicemember and writer Serhiy Zhadan, following the Corps’ announcement that its units had joined the legal aid program launched by Yermak, stated that he saw no difference between “lawyer Yermak and lawyer Medvedchuk.”
“Personally, I see no difference between lawyer Yermak and lawyer Medvedchuk. I would not want this person to represent me,” Zhadan wrote.
The discussion is not about the need for legal assistance for military personnel, but primarily about Yermak’s political reputation and his legal status.
The former head of the Office of the President is suspected of laundering assets which, according to investigators, were obtained through criminal means during the construction of a cottage community near Kyiv. Yermak and his defense team deny the charges.
The Yermak Case
On May 11, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced that Andriy Yermak was under suspicion in a case involving the laundering of 460 million hryvnias. According to investigators, the case involves an organized group that may have been involved in money laundering during the construction of a luxury housing development near Kyiv.
Also, according to the investigation, the group’s members include former Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Chernyshov and businessman Timur Mindich.
Construction took place in the Kozin Village Council in the Kyiv region in the “Dynasty” cottage community. The houses were intended for the personal use of the group’s members. The cost of a single house is approximately $2 million. According to NABU, Yermak was drawn into the money-laundering scheme through the construction project as early as the summer of 2020.
NABU reports that the money laundering began as early as June 2021. Funding took place in two ways: through an alleged construction contract with the “Sunny Beach” housing cooperative. The cooperative’s founders deposited cash into accounts for the construction of “Dynasty.” The second method involved handing cash directly to workers who were personally performing the construction work.
The NABU also states that construction of the “Dynasty” residence did not stop even amid hostilities in the Kyiv region at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the investigation, Chernyshov demanded that construction of the buildings resume as early as March 2022.
As a reminder, Andriy Yermak resigned from his position as head of the Office of the President on November 28, 2025, amid a corruption scandal in the energy sector involving several ministers and Timur Mindi, a former business partner of President Volodymyr Zelenskyycha.
Read us on Telegram: important topics – without censorship
