Reshuffle in Zelenskyy’s Office: Deputy chief Oleh Tatarov to be dismissed

Oleh Tatarov, a deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Office, is being dismissed, according to a Telegram post by Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko.

Goncharenko wrote that Tatarov is leaving Zelenskyy’s office and that, in an effort to part on relatively amicable terms, Zelenskyy had proposed that SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) chief Vasyl Maliuk take Tatarov on in some capacity. However, according to the lawmaker, Maliuk was unable to find a suitable position for him. Goncharenko added that Tatarov will “most likely” move to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate.

The developments come amid broader upheaval within the President’s Office. On November 28, Zelenskyy accepted the resignation of Andriy Yermak from his post as head of the Office of the President. 

Yermak was dismissed after anti-corruption authorities conducted a search of his apartment. Western observers described the situation as a “political earthquake” and a “fatal combination.”

Yermak, 54, had headed the Office of the President of Ukraine since February 11, 2020. Before that, he served as one of Zelensky’s aides, overseeing foreign policy and international relations.

In recent months, Yermak had also been leading Kyiv’s negotiating team on efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

By Tamilla Hasanova