Ukrainian border guards have received a letter barring former Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak from leaving the country, according to Oleksiy Honcharenko, an MP from the European Solidarity party. The letter was allegedly sent to border checkpoints, Honcharenko said.
Honcharenko claimed Yermak had become a victim of the very system he helped build.
According to reporters at Ukrainska Pravda, Yermak did not expect to step down and was most surprised that President Volodymyr Zelensky initiated his dismissal. The move was reportedly backed by technocrat Mykhailo Fedorov, Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal and even Yermak’s former ally, Oleh Tatarov.
Separately, Holos party MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak said Yermak sought to remove all “disloyal” officials and secure his own protection to shield the so‑called “Midas” case. He reportedly pushed to immediately sideline top law enforcement leaders, including the SBU, the State Bureau of Investigations and the Prosecutor General.
RBC-Ukraine has reported that Zelensky is weighing six candidates and wants to change the office’s overall operating model. Among the candidates:
- Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal;
- First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov;
- Military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov;
- Deputy head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa.
After his dismissal, Yermak said he does not harbor anger toward the president, noting they have always been friends.
