Zelenskyy offers intelligence chief Budanov to head Presidential Office
Photo: Head of Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered the position of head of Ukraine's Presidential Office to Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate.
He discussed the meeting with Budanov, during which he offered Budanov the position of head of the Presidential Office.
"Now, Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues, the development of the Defense and Security Forces, and on the diplomatic track in the talks, and the Presidential Office should primarily serve these tasks of our state," the Ukrainian leader said.
Zelenskyy added that Budanov has exceptional experience in these areas and the strength needed to deliver results.
"I also instructed the new head of the Presidential Office to update and submit the strategic foundations of our country's defense and development, as well as the next steps, in coordination with the Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and other relevant officials and institutions," the Ukrainian President stated.
All formal procedures for appointing Budanov as head of the Presidential Office are now underway. Presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said this in response to a question about whether Kyrylo Budanov had already been officially appointed head of the Presidential Office.
Background
On December 30, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he had selected a new head of the Presidential Office.
To date, the Presidential Office has been without a head as it searches for a new operating model, which will largely depend on the candidacy of its future chief.
Andriy Yermak dismissal
On November 28, 2025, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) conducted searches at the residence of then-Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak. According to sources, the investigative actions were associated with the Midas operation, which NABU announced in November 2025, aimed at exposing large-scale corruption in the energy sector.
Immediately after the searches, Yermak submitted a resignation letter, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed. Zelenskyy later told journalists that appointing a new head of the Presidential Office was not a priority for the authorities at that time.
The following day, The New York Post reported that Yermak had decided to go to the front line. Later, after the dismissal, he again visited Bankova Street to speak with the President of Ukraine.
