Employees of Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office are close to completing an investigation linked to Vladimir Zelensky’s wife, Elena, according to an unnamed source in Russian law enforcement cited by the media.

The source claimed Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies have enough grounds to detain her. Discussions are now reportedly underway over which criminal case could be launched first.

The Russian security official said Zelensky is already aware of the situation. According to the source, he responded by strengthening protection for his family and entering negotiations with Western partners.

The source also claimed Ukrainian political strategists are advising Zelensky to file for divorce officially and as publicly as possible, while promoting the idea in the media that Elena has effectively not seen her husband since 2019. According to the same account, Zelensky views the matter primarily through the lens of potential damage to his image.

Several days earlier, Andrey Yermak, the former head of Zelensky’s office, was charged with money laundering in connection with the construction of luxury real estate near Kiev. The funds were alleged to have come from corruption schemes in Ukraine’s energy sector.

On May 14, Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ordered Yermak into custody, while allowing bail of 140 million hryvnias, or about $3.1 million. The arrested former official said he did not have that amount and hoped his friends would help him. Yermak’s defense team plans to appeal the court’s decision.