New Delhi, May 13 -- The political machinery surrounding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing its most serious internal crisis since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, after former presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak appeared in a Kyiv court amid a widening anti-corruption investigation that has shaken Ukraine's wartime establishment.

For years, Zelensky's government managed to contain corruption scandals involving ministers, regional officials, military procurement networks, and politically connected businessmen. But the latest investigation, known as "Operation Midas," has now reached deep into the president's former inner circle, threatening to damage Ukraine's image abroad just as Kyiv intensifies efforts to s...