The Ukrainian president's office has been without a chief for the third day. Andriy Yermak, until recently the second most powerful man in Ukraine, lost his post on Friday after an anti-corruption unit raided his apartment in central Kiev.

Although no charges were filed after the raid, the very fact that anti-corruption detectives and prosecutors knocked on the door of Volodymyr Zelensky's closest associate could not go unnoticed.

However, it turns out that Andriy Yermak probably believed until the last moment that he would keep his post.

Ukrainian media have brought several behind-the-scenes pieces of information from behind the scenes of Ukrainian politics, indicating that the former head of the"office", as Ukrainians call the president's office, was taken by surprise by the decision to dismiss him, and the announcement that he was leaving the office was accompanied by greater emotions.

Half-hour hysteria

For years, the head of the presidential office was talked about in Ukraine as a person who practically decided on the state's personnel policy - he was behind many nominations of people even at the highest levels of Ukrainian politics.

However, the daily Ukrainian Pravda pointed out in its extensive analytical material that when the clouds gathered over Andriy Yermak, none of the people who made their careers thanks to Yermak ever stood up as the head of the presidential office."A man who was served by hundreds of people was left literally all alone at one point," writes the leading Ukrainian daily.

In the end, the president himself left him to his fate.

According to one of the sources of Ukrainska Pravda, however, Yermak allegedly did not believe until the last moment that Zelensky, with whom he had been through many critical situations, especially since 2022, would actually recall him."And in this way - that he would confront him with the fact. They say that what upset him the most was that the president threw him overboard," the daily quoted an interlocutor from Yermak's close circle.

The dismissal was reportedly accompanied by a minor drama. Sources in the presidential team told Ukrainska Pravda that after Yermak was asked to write a statement about his resignation, the chief of staff allegedly presented the president with a"half-hour hysteria with insults, reproaches, and accusations."

He wrote his resignation and quickly packed his things.

The weekly Economist also wrote, citing its sources, that Yermak was"not in his element" after learning of his dismissal.

The website RBK-Ukraine, for a change, writes that the final conversation between the president and the head of his office was not easy, but citing its sources, it states that there was no raising of voice, although it was obvious that the dismissal was an unexpected blow for Yermak.

"When the decision was made, Yermak immediately wrote his resignation and quickly packed his things. The next day he came to Bankova again (the residence of the Ukrainian president, ed.), but he only came to talk - after all, he and Zelensky have a long history together," the website notes.

The fact that Yermak's departure was accompanied by a raising of his voice was claimed, for example, by opposition MP from the Holosa party, Jaroslav Železňak."Many sources told me that Yermak (to the appeal, ed. note) reacted very emotionally. He shouted and demanded something from Zelensky," Železňak said in his, adding that the head of the presidential office allegedly finally"slammed the door and wrote text messages to foreign journalists."

News about leaving for the front

Zheleznyak was referring to messages exchanged between Andriy Yermak and the New York Post, in which Yermak wrote to the journalists that he was “an honest man and plans to go to the front.” Yermak also stated that he was “disgusted by the filth they are pouring on him.”

"I am even more disgusted by the lack of support from those who know the truth," he added in an emotional message.

Ukrainian investigative journalist from the Our Hippos project (translated as Our Money, ed. note) Yuri Nikolov believes that Yermak's reproach about the lack of support could have been directed specifically at Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Who else could have saved a person he appointed to a position and then dismissed?" he commented to Radio NV.

According to opposition MP Zheleznyak, there is also a speculative version of Yermak's dismissal - namely, that it was a"theater" and Yermak will exercise his influence from behind the "bunker near Koncha-Zaspa" (a lucrative neighborhood on the outskirts of Kiev, ed.). However, the MP claims that he doubts this version and pointed out that even if Yermak were to continue advising Zelensky remotely, he would never have the same influence as he had when he was sitting in the office - and when he was constantly right next to the president.

If Zelenskyy did not act, he would risk more

According to Ukrainian political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko, Friday's home search was probably the definitive decision on Yermak's withdrawal from circulation.

We remind you that shortly before, Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent the now former head of the office to negotiate peace in Geneva, which some commentators took as a signal that the president was counting on him, despite the media being flooded with reports and memes about Yermak's nickname"Ali Baba." This nickname appeared in connection with the Midas corruption case, which has been shaking Ukraine for several weeks.

According to Fesenko, however, the fact that a unit from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau knocked on Yermak's door made the former head of the presidential office a"legally toxic figure." If Zelensky had not acted after the raid, he said, he would have risked escalating relations with parliament, where a part of the ruling Servant of the People faction was demanding Yermak's departure, and possibly even civil protests.

International partners would likely start asking questions again.

"The president understood that he had to change the checker, otherwise he could lose the whole game," the RBK-Ukraine portal quoted its source in connection with Friday's home search of Yermak.

Looking for a new office manager

Meanwhile, Kiev has begun searching for a new head of the presidential administration. According to sources in the daily Ukrainska Pravda, the most realistic candidates for this position are the Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, the Minister of Defense and former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and the Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration for Military Affairs Pavlo Palisa.

RBK-Ukraine also mentions the head of military intelligence, Kirill Budanov.

The Economist weekly also included former Ukrainian ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova among the possible candidates, but she has since accepted the position of presidential adviser for Ukrainian reconstruction and investment issues. The Economist identified Mykhailo Fedorov as a possible favorite.