Exclusive | Andriy Yermak is ‘prepared for any reprisals’ after resignation from Ukraine’s govt

WASHINGTON — Former top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday told The Post he is headed to the frontlines — hours after he submitted his resignation from the position in the wake of a raid on his home by Kyiv’s national anti-corruption bureau.

“I’m going to the front and am prepared for any reprisals,” Andriy Yermak told the Post in an impassioned text message Friday night. “I am an honest and decent person.”

He then apologized if he no longer answers calls. He did not say when or how he intended to go to the frontlines of the war against Russia.

“I served Ukraine and was in Kyiv on February 24, 2024,” he wrote, referencing the day Russia launched its full-scale war. “Maybe we’ll see each other again. Glory to Ukraine.”

Yermak did not give further detail about how he would go to the frontlines and whether he would be joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“I’ve been desecrated and my dignity hasn’t been protected, despite having been in Kyiv since February 24, 2022,” he said. “Therefore, I don’t want to create problems for Zelensky; I’m going to the front.”

“I’m disgusted by the filth directed at me, and even more disgusted by the lack of support from those who know the truth,” he added.

The messages came after a day of upheaval for Yermak, who had led Ukraine’s delegation negotiating for Kyiv on Ukraine’s peace plan. The raid on his apartment and his resignation came just before he was scheduled to meet with the US team leading talks to end Russia’s war.

A Ukrainian delegation is still coming this weekend to the US to meet with Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for continued peace plan talks.

Zelensky has already shuffled his negotiating team tasked with working on the peace plan with the US.

Remaining on the team is Ukrainian Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, who convinced Witkoff that Ukraine would capitulate to a heavily Russia-leaning 28-point peace plan that later proved unacceptable to Zelensky, senior US officials said.

The raid on Yermak came after Ukraine’s anti-graft watchdog spent 15 months digging into a brazen shakedown dubbed “Operation Midas,” uncovering a scheme that allegedly forced Energoatom contractors to cough up 10 to 15 percent kickbacks — or risk getting blacklisted. 

Investigators say the crooks skimmed nearly $100 million off the top.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishya told The Post that “searches at his home were made, but no procedural actions followed afterwards.”

“Yermak resigned because he wanted to cut off speculations,” she said.

Zelensky said Yermak’s resignation allowed Kyiv to keep the faith of the Ukrainian public as it continues a difficult phase of peace talks with the US to end the war with Russia.

“I am grateful to Andriy that Ukraine’s position on the path of negotiations was always presented as required: it was always a patriotic position,” Zelensky said. “But I want there to be no rumors and speculation.”

“… When all attention is focused on diplomacy and defense in a war, internal strength is required,” he said.