Anti-corruption units have raided the home and reportedly also the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, in an unwelcome distraction for Kyiv officials as they battle to defeat Russia’s invasion and persuade US officials to accommodate their concerns in peace proposals. Two national agencies fighting entrenched corruption in Ukraine said their searches targeted Yermak.

Yermak, a powerful figure in Ukraine and a key participant in talks with the US, confirmed they searched his apartment inside the presidential compound in downtown Kyiv. Ukrainian anti-corruption watchdogs are carrying out a major investigation into a $100 million energy sector corruption scandal involving top Ukrainian officials.