Lead
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on 1 December named military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as his new chief of staff in Kyiv, shifting a top presidential role toward security leadership. The move follows the resignation of Andriy Yermak on 28 November after his residence was searched amid a broad anti-corruption probe. Zelensky said the appointment reflects an urgent need to prioritise defence, security and diplomatic negotiations. Budanov will be replaced at military intelligence by foreign intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko, 56.
Key takeaways
- Kyrylo Budanov, 39, has been appointed head of the presidential office, moving from his role as head of the HUR military intelligence service.
- Andriy Yermak, 54, resigned on 28 November after an anti-corruption search of his Kyiv home; authorities have not charged him with wrongdoing.
- Zelensky stated the change aims to intensify focus on defence, security forces and diplomatic negotiations during the ongoing war with Russia.
- Investigators have linked multiple high-profile figures to an alleged $100 million (about £75 million) embezzlement scheme in the energy sector, a case that has driven recent probes.
- Oleh Ivashchenko, 56, has been named to replace Budanov as head of foreign intelligence.
- The personnel shift comes as Kyiv and its European partners seek revisions to a US-led draft peace plan viewed as favouring Russia.
- Russian officials have highlighted the corruption allegations in public statements, increasing political pressure on Kyiv.
Background
The personnel change follows a month of political turbulence for the Ukrainian presidency. Andriy Yermak, who had been a central figure in Kyiv’s diplomacy and negotiations since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, stepped down on 28 November after investigators from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) searched his residence.
In recent months Ukrainian investigators say they uncovered an alleged scheme involving kickbacks and undue influence over state-owned companies, including the state nuclear energy firm Energoatom; authorities estimate the scheme involved about $100 million (approximately £75 million). Those inquiries have implicated several high-profile actors but have not resulted in convictions tied to the presidential office.
The context is a high-stakes diplomatic moment: Kyiv, supported by many European allies, has been seeking changes to a US-led draft peace framework that it views as biased toward Russian positions. The corruption probe has complicated Kyiv’s negotiating posture by creating political fractures at home and giving Moscow ammunition to question the Ukrainian leadership’s integrity.
Main event
President Zelensky announced the appointment in a social-media post from Kyiv, publishing a photograph of his meeting with Budanov. He said, briefly, “At this time, Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues,” and instructed the new chief of staff to update and present key documents on the “strategic foundations” of Ukraine’s defence.
Kyrylo Budanov, 39, has led the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) and is credited by Ukrainian authorities with overseeing several precise intelligence-driven strikes against Russian forces. His elevation to the presidential office places a career intelligence officer at the centre of Kyiv’s security and diplomatic apparatus.
Zelensky also announced that foreign intelligence head Oleh Ivashchenko, 56, will take over Budanov’s previous role. The swap leaves the intelligence leadership structure reshuffled at a time when battlefield intelligence and diplomatic leverage are both politically and militarily consequential.
Yermak’s departure was widely viewed inside Ukraine and abroad as a notable weakening of Zelensky’s inner circle. Yermak had led Ukraine’s negotiating team in sensitive talks with US officials and other partners; his absence removes a long-standing interlocutor from those channels and may require rapid recalibration of Kyiv’s diplomatic team.
Analysis & implications
Putting Budanov in charge of the presidential office is a signal that Zelensky is prioritising immediate security concerns over a continuity of previous political and diplomatic leadership. An intelligence chief running the presidential office could streamline military-to-policy coordination, but it may also alter how Kyiv presents itself to Western counterparts who were accustomed to negotiating with Yermak.
The replacement risks short-term disruption in established diplomatic lines. Yermak had deep relationships with US and European counterparts that underpinned financial and military support; rebuilding or transferring those relationships to Budanov or others will take time and may affect negotiations tied to the US-led draft peace plan.
Domestically, the anti-corruption probes that precipitated Yermak’s resignation have eroded political capital for Zelensky. Although no charges have been filed against Yermak, the investigations into an alleged $100 million energy-sector scheme have strengthened critics’ claims about governance weaknesses and given Russia rhetorical leverage to question Ukrainian unity.
Internationally, partners will watch closely for how Kyiv balances security imperatives with transparent legal processes. Western capitals that provide military aid are sensitive to governance and anti-corruption signals; a security-driven reshuffle could reassure some allies about operational effectiveness but worry others about politicisation of investigations.
Comparison & data
| Person | Age | Previous role | New role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyrylo Budanov | 39 | Head of HUR (military intelligence) | Chief of Staff to the President |
| Oleh Ivashchenko | 56 | Head of foreign intelligence | Head of HUR (pending) |
| Andriy Yermak | 54 | Head of presidential office | Resigned (28 November) |
The table highlights the rapid personnel moves and relative ages and portfolios. The alleged embezzlement figure publicly discussed by investigators — about $100 million (roughly £75 million) — provides scale to the corruption probe that precipitated the leadership change.
Reactions & quotes
Officials and commentators offered immediate, varied readings of the change, noting both security rationale and political fallout.
“At this time, Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues, the development of the defence and security forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track of negotiations.”
Office of the President (social-media statement)
The president framed the move as operationally necessary. Observers say the message is as much about consolidating security coordination as it is about restoring confidence in governance.
“Investigators say they uncovered an extensive scheme to take kickbacks and influence state-owned companies including Energoatom.”
Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators (NABU/SAPO)
Anti-corruption agencies emphasised the scale of their probe; prosecutors have linked multiple figures to the alleged scheme but have not publicly disclosed charges tied to the presidential office.
Unconfirmed
- Specific allegations tying Andriy Yermak personally to the $100 million scheme have not been substantiated by public charges or court filings.
- The exact evidence that prompted the search of Yermak’s residence has not been released by NABU or SAPO.
- Any direct link between the personnel change and concrete shifts in the US-led draft peace plan remains speculative until negotiators formally respond.
Bottom line
President Zelensky’s appointment of Kyrylo Budanov to head the presidential office is a clear pivot toward security-oriented leadership at a fraught moment in the war with Russia. The move aims to tighten coordination between intelligence, defence and diplomacy but carries risks for continuity in long-established Western diplomatic channels.
The underlying anti-corruption investigations that precipitated Andriy Yermak’s resignation have significant political implications: they have weakened domestic support, provided rhetorical openings for Russian officials, and introduced uncertainty into Kyiv’s negotiating capacity. International partners will now assess whether the reshuffle strengthens Ukraine’s operational effectiveness while preserving transparent legal processes.