At a Kyiv press briefing, prosecutors said Rustem Umerov — who leads Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council — has given testimony and is considered a witness. The Los Angeles Times reported that prosecutors also named former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov and well-known Ukrainian businessman Tymur Mindich among those tied to the case. Prosecutors said the probe extends beyond the real estate scheme to encompass alleged misconduct in the country's energy sector, arms industry, and military procurement, including the acquisition of drones.
Zelensky did not address the announcement publicly. His spokesman, Dmytro Lytvyn, told the Associated Press that conclusions should not be drawn while the investigation is still underway. Speaking to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, Fomin — Yermak's lawyer — rejected the suspicion notice as without merit. "In my view, this entire situation has been provoked by public pressure," he said, according to the AP.
For Zelensky, the scandal carries significant political costs as Kyiv works toward E.U. membership — a goal that remains years away, with entrenched corruption widely seen as one of the chief impediments to Ukraine's accession, the Los Angeles Times reported.
