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Zelensky may consider six candidates to replace Yermak — media

The four most discussed officials include Defense Minister Denis Shmygal, Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fyodorov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence Kirill Budanov and deputy head of Zelensky’s office Pavel Palisa

MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/. There are six candidates to replace Andrey Yermak as the head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, RBC-Ukraine news agency reported, citing sources.

The four most discussed officials include Defense Minister Denis Shmygal, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fyodorov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence Kirill Budanov (listed in Russia as a terrorist and extremist) and Pavel Palisa, deputy head of Zelensky’s office, the news agency reported. "The first three people are those who came to [Zelensky’s] mind at once, and Palisa has stood out in his post," a source told RBC-Ukraine.

Another source said that there are two more candidates, apart from those four, and their names have not been disclosed yet. Besides, the agency continued, the position of Zelensky’s top aide will remain vacant until at least Wednesday, with Zelensky currently on a foreign tour.

Fyodorov, Shmygal and Palisa form a group of the most likely candidates, Ukrainska Pravda news website wrote. Sergey Kislitsa, Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister, who is currently taking part in negotiations with the United States, could also be offered the position.

Meanwhile, the news portal dismissed the appointment of Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko as unlikely, even as she was among the potential candidates originally, for relaunching the Cabinet would then be too challenging, while Sviridenko herself would view such an appointment as a demotion.

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