Zelenskyy chose Budanov over Fedorov for Presidential Office role — report
Kyrylo Budanov and Mykhailo Fedorov were the leading candidates to replace Andriy Yermak as head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office after Yermak’s resignation in late 2025, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sept. 21.
Kyrylo Budanov and Mykhailo Fedorov were the two main contenders to succeed Andriy Yermak as head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office following Yermak’s resignation in late 2025, according to Ukrainska Pravda's report on September 21. Budanov, then in charge of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), and Fedorov, serving as deputy prime minister and digital transformation minister, were the frontrunners.
Zelenskyy ultimately picked Budanov, announcing his appointment as head of the Presidential Office on January 2, 2026. The choice was reportedly influenced by the extent of change Fedorov had suggested for the Presidential Office. A source close to Zelenskyy revealed that Fedorov had submitted a comprehensive set of reforms, including alterations the administration had previously opposed.
This proposal went beyond digitalization and drone operations, touching on areas such as defense procurement, personnel appointments, and even the military command structure, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. On the other hand, political strategist and ex-lawmaker Ihor Hryniv echoed similar sentiments in a July 25 interview with Radio NV, suggesting that Fedorov had proposed a "complete reboot" and a shift in Ukraine’s military leadership, including the replacement of then-Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
However, Zelenskyy was reportedly reluctant to accept the full scale of Fedorov's suggested reforms at the time. In late 2025, both Yermak and Davyd Arakhamia, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, were also against appointing Fedorov to head the Presidential Office. In addition, NABU and SAPO, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, conducted searches related to Yermak on November 28, 2025, as part of Operation Midas, an investigation into alleged high-level corruption in the energy sector.
Yermak was dismissed as head of the Presidential Office on November 28, 2025, and Budanov was subsequently appointed to the role.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
