MOSCOW, December 8. /TASS/. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko was part of a group of politicians secretly planning to remove Andrey Yermak from his position as head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, the Ukrainian Pravda news outlet reported.

Sviridenko, who assumed the role of prime minister in July, was previously considered Yermak’s ally. However, the publication now asserts she has "cut the political umbilical cord" with him. The prime minister, together with Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, attended a secret meeting with senior representatives of the ruling Servant of the People party to discuss Yermak’s ousting.

Based on Ukrainian Pravda, the "high-level secret council" meeting took place in Stefanchuk’s office, after which participants held a phone conversation with Zelensky. "Yermak had already clashed with everyone on the team. <...> Even Yulia [Sviridenko], whom he had helped, couldn’t work like this. After discussing it, we decided to call [Zelensky] and tell him directly that Andrey [Yermak] had to go," one of the meeting participants told the outlet. "We called [Zelensky], and everyone took turns explaining why they thought so. Everyone spoke. The leadership of parliament, the government, and the [ruling party] leaders were all there. [Zelensky] couldn’t ignore it."

After Yermak discovered the plot, he demonstratively blocked some participants in messaging apps and ignored their messages, the report adds. He also allegedly attempted to initiate criminal cases against Servant of the People faction head Davyd Arakhamia, Verkhovna Rada lawmaker and chairman of the parliamentary tax committee Daniil Getmantsev, and Voice party MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak. However, by that time, law enforcement had reportedly fallen under Arakhamia’s influence.

Ukrainian Pravda suggests that Yermak’s resignation could strengthen the political influence of Arakhamia and Sviridenko. The prime minister has been actively engaging with MPs, particularly in pushing for the 2026 budget, meeting with nearly all factions and groups. "Her reception room is practically set up on the couch in Stefanchuk's office," one Servant of the People representative said. "The prime minister understands that constructive work with the Rada is her best defense against pressure, resignation, and any attempts by the next head of the office to undermine her," a participant in the plot against Yermak noted.

Yermak’s resignation

Yermak has headed Zelensky’s office since February 2020. On November 17, reports emerged linking him to major corruption schemes. MPs, including from the ruling party, demanded his dismissal, but Zelensky refused and even appointed Yermak to lead Ukraine’s delegation in talks with the US. Nevertheless, this did not protect the head of the office from an investigation. On the morning of November 28, anti-corruption officials searched Yermak’s premises, and by evening, Zelensky had dismissed him.

As reported by the Ukrainian Pravda news outlet, Zelensky’s inner circle secretly coordinated efforts to remove Yermak, creating a special chat for this purpose. Upon learning of his dismissal, Yermak reportedly unleashed a 30-minute tirade filled with insults, accusations, and reproaches against Zelensky.