Zelenskyy's former top aide Yermak met Ukraine's national security chief at his home on 30 January – Ukrainska Pravda
Journalists from Ukrainska Pravda have discovered that on the evening of 30 January, Andrii Yermak, former head of the Ukrainian President's Office, visited the residential complex where Rustem Umierov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, lives and stayed there for an hour and a half. Umierov confirmed the meeting to Ukrainska Pravda, describing their conversation as "general".
Source: a new Ukrainska Pravda investigation, The Godfather working remotely: Ukrainska Pravda tracks down Andrii Yermak
Details: Ukrainska Pravda journalists documented Yermak travelling on 30 January from a gym to a residential complex where sources say Umierov lives. His motorcade was met at the underground car park by Umierov's security guard.
Yermak stayed in the building for about three hours and left at 23:17.
Umierov confirmed the meeting to Ukrainska Pravda, saying the conversation lasted about an hour and covered general topics: life, work and events in Ukraine.
He said they have had few opportunities to speak since Yermak stepped down, despite having worked closely together for a long time.
He also denied that Yermak or anyone else has any influence on his decisions or work.
Update: After Ukrainska Pravda posted its report, Umierov's press secretary Diana Davytian contacted the editorial office and provided photos from the CCTV cameras.
The footage shows that Yermak's motorcade in fact left the car park of the building where Umierov's apartment is located at 22:04. This indicates that Yermak spent one hour and 40 minutes with the current head of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council.
Background:
- On 28 November 2025, Ukrainska Pravda reported that officers from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) were conducting searches at Yermak's office in the government district. Ukrainska Pravda journalists managed to record around 10 NABU and SAPO employees entering the government district.
- On 29 November, Yermak announced that he was going to the front line after resigning as head of the President's Office amid the corruption scandal.
- Yermak confirmed that his home had been searched and said he was ready to assist the investigation.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later announced that he had accepted Yermak's resignation and that the President's Office would now undergo a reboot.
- Zelenskyy appointed Kyrylo Budanov, former head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, as the new head of the President's Office.
- On 15 January, NABU director Semen Kryvonos said that Yermak and former defence minister Umierov were not being treated as suspects in the Mindich corruption case.
- It was reported on 25 January that Yermak had reinstated his right to practise law.
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