Andrii Yermak, the former head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has been placed in pre-trial detention with bail set at UAH 140 million (about USD3.18 million), after a High Anti-Corruption Court ruling tied to a large-scale money laundering case. Speaking after the decision, Yermak admitted he was unprepared for the outcome and said he does not have the required funds.
He told the court that he would rely on personal contacts to try to secure the bail amount. “I wasn’t prepared for this. I think I do have quite a few acquaintances and friends and I hope they will be able to help with this,” he said, adding that he was still assessing how to respond to the ruling.
Yermak declined to identify who might contribute financially and emphasized that his legal team would appeal the decision within the allowed timeframe. He also suggested he remained mentally prepared for a prolonged legal process, noting his presence in Kyiv during the full-scale invasion as evidence of his resilience. “I am a strong enough person,” he said in court.
The court ordered that Yermak be held in custody for up to 60 days from the moment of arrest, unless bail is posted. If released, he would be required to remain in Kyiv, report regularly to investigators, surrender travel documents, avoid contact with other suspects or witnesses, and wear an electronic monitoring device.
