The article says that, unlike his predecessor, Budanov delegates tasks and does not try to be everywhere at once. Dozens of working groups created and led by Yermak ceased operating after his dismissal.
“Budanov has completely different organizational skills and a different background,” the outlet quoted one of its sources as saying, describing the person as close to the president.
The new head of the President’s Office has not taken Yermak’s former office but instead moved into a room previously used by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s friend and former aide Serhii Shefir. Earlier, it had been the office of former President Leonid Kuchma.
The article also notes that Yermak’s interaction with Zelenskyy was largely based on informal trust and personal friendship. With Kyrylo Budanov’s appointment, communication has become more formalized, institutional and official.
On Nov. 28, 2025, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAPO conducted searches at the residence of Presidential Office head Andrii Yermak. This followed the publication of investigative findings related to Operation Midas, a large-scale probe into corruption schemes in Ukraine’s energy sector.
The same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in an address that the head of the President’s Office would resign.
On Jan. 2, 2026, Zelenskyy said he had offered Budanov, head of military intelligence, the position of head of the President’s Office.
In a Telegram post, Budanov said he had accepted the offer.
“I will continue to serve Ukraine. I see the position of head of the President’s Office as another level of responsibility to the country. It is an honor and a responsibility for me, at a historic moment for Ukraine, to focus on critically important issues of our state’s strategic security,” he said.