Zelenskyy's former top aide Yermak has retained influence despite stepping down – sources

Andrii Yermak, the former head of the Ukrainian President's Office, has officially stepped away from his public role since his resignation, but he continues to retain significant influence over personnel decisions and internal processes within the Office.

Source: a Ukrainska Pravda article, "Servants of Midas: why spring will NOT reveal who stole what"

Details: Sources in political and business circles have told Ukrainska Pravda that Yermak still maintains control over most appointees at the Office and has full awareness of what is going on.

"One signal from the president and everyone would stop taking calls from Yermak," a UP source in political circles said. "But that signal never came. On the contrary, there is a signal confirming Andrii's authority."

Another source within the government said Yermak's influence has not gone anywhere – it's just become less public: "Yermak's not here, yet he is here" was how the source put it.

Sources also noted that a number of key government figures have retained their positions, and Yermak's influence continues to be felt in terms of personnel decisions.

One experienced politician remarked ironically that it is impossible to "gain access to any brigades or enter the Bar Association" without the president's approval.

"We thought Yermak was the problem, so we fought Yermak – but it was the president," a senior member of Zelenskyy's team told Ukrainska Pravda journalist Mykhailo Tkach off the record two months after Yermak's resignation.

Some sources said, however, that it has been "easier to breathe" and access to leadership has improved since the recent changes at the Office.

Nevertheless, the sources said this apparent decentralisation of influence may be temporary and does not indicate any real change in the decision-making system.

Background:

• On 28 November 2025, Ukrainska Pravda reported that detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and prosecutors from the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) had conducted searches at Yermak's residence in the government quarter. Yermak confirmed the searches and said he was willing to cooperate with the investigation.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later announced Yermak's resignation. On 2 January, Zelenskyy appointed Defence Intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov as head of the Office.
• Yermak later declared that he would go to the front line after resigning amid a corruption scandal and the investigative actions by NABU at his residence.
• According to ZN.UA, Yermak visited the office of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service on 5 December 2025, although Ukrainska Pravda sources did not confirm this report.

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