President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed his powerful chief of staff Andriy Yermak, ending a tenure that began in early 2020 and made Yermak one of the most influential figures in Ukraine’s wartime leadership.
The decision was confirmed on Friday evening in Zelenskyy’s daily video address and in presidential decree No 868/2025, published on the website of the Office of the President. The decree briefly states that Yermak is released from the post of Head of the President’s Office. Zelenskyy said that Yermak had submitted a resignation letter and that the Office would now undergo a “reset”.
“I am grateful to Andriy for ensuring that Ukraine’s position in the negotiation track has always been represented as it should be. It has always been a patriotic position,” Zelenskyy said, before stressing that he wanted to “avoid rumours and speculation” around the departure. He announced consultations on Saturday with candidates who could lead the Office of the President.
The President did not name potential successors. He indicated that the new head of the Office would work closely with the Commander-in-Chief, the Foreign Ministry, the National Security and Defence Council and the intelligence services in preparing forthcoming talks with international partners, including the United States.
In his address Zelenskyy linked the personnel change to a wider review of the government’s performance during the war. He spoke of the need for “rebooting” within the Office of the President and for full focus on the external challenge posed by Russia’s ongoing invasion. “When we all face such an external challenge – war – we must be strong inside,” he said, adding that one hundred per cent of Ukraine’s strength had to be directed at defending the country.
The dismissal follows searches by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office at Yermak’s home and office earlier in the day, as part of a broader anti-corruption investigation. Zelenskyy made no reference to the searches in his address.
Yermak, a lawyer and former film producer, entered Zelenskyy’s team as an adviser on international affairs and was appointed head of the Office of the President in February 2020. Over nearly six years he became a central figure in Ukraine’s diplomacy, co-ordinating talks with Western partners on security assistance, sanctions policy and Kyiv’s peace formula. He also led key negotiations on prisoner exchanges and the Black Sea grain corridor.
His prominent role made him a focal point of both criticism and support inside Ukraine and among some Western politicians. Critics accused him of excessive concentration of power in the presidential Office, while supporters argued that he provided continuity and coherence to Ukraine’s foreign policy during the full-scale war.
Zelenskyy’s announcement suggests that further changes in the senior leadership around the President may follow. The Ukrainian leader said that ministries and other state bodies would face comprehensive inspections, with an emphasis on efficiency and accountability during wartime. He repeated that officials must act “in the interests of the state” and concentrate on practical measures to strengthen Ukraine’s defence and international position.
The departure of Yermak opens a key vacancy at the centre of Ukraine’s executive system. The head of the Office manages the President’s schedule, oversees the drafting and implementation of decisions, and acts as a gatekeeper between the head of state and ministers, regional leaders and foreign partners. Diplomats in Kyiv have long viewed the position as almost vice-presidential in political weight.
For Ukraine’s allies, the reshuffle introduces an element of uncertainty over the management of day-to-day contacts with Kyiv, particularly ahead of planned meetings with the United States and other partners on military support and security guarantees. However, Zelenskyy signalled that core policy lines – continued resistance to Russian aggression and pursuit of a just peace on Ukrainian terms – would remain unchanged.
Attention is likely to focus on how swiftly the President can re-establish clear chains of responsibility inside the Office while maintaining momentum in international negotiations. With the war now in its fourth year and Russian attacks continuing along the front and against Ukrainian cities, the effectiveness of decision-making in the presidential administration remains central to Kyiv’s ability to sustain its defence and manage relations with its partners.
