UP: Yermak Discussed Fedorov's Appointment as Head of the Presidential Office with a Fortune Teller
In December 2025, former Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak discussed with Veronika Fenshu the possible appointment of Mykhailo Fedorov as head of the Office of the President. This was reported by “Ukrainska Pravda,” citing an excerpt from correspondence that, according to the publication, is in the editorial office’s possession.
In the correspondence, Yermak sought advice on how to respond to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s idea to appoint Fedorov as head of the Office of the President. His interlocutor advised him to hint to Zelenskyy that Fedorov was “preparing his own replacement.” According to her, this could anger the president and “stick in his mind.”
According to several UP sources close to the Office of the President, Fedorov had prepared a plan to restructure the Office—transforming it from a source of unlimited power into a source of reforms. Ultimately, Zelenskyy appointed him Minister of Defense.
The publication’s sources in political circles claim that Yermak and the head of the “Servant of the People” faction, Davyd Arakhamia, opposed Fedorov’s appointment as head of the Office of the President. According to them, Arakhamia did not want Fedorov’s influence to grow within the president’s inner circle. “He’ll become too powerful,” UP quotes one influential political figure as saying. According to the publication, Yermak did not support Fedorov’s candidacy due to approval ratings and the upcoming elections.
UP also reports that during court hearings, it emerged that Yermak had consulted with a woman listed in his contacts as “Veronika Feng Shui Office” regarding appointments to government positions. According to the publication, he sent her information about the candidates’ dates of birth and asked for advice.
On November 28, 2025, Zelenskyy dismissed Yermak from his position as head of the Office of the President following searches. On May 11, 2026, Yermak was notified that he was a suspect in a case involving the laundering of 460 million hryvnias during the construction of the “Dynasty” cottage community in Kozin, Kyiv Oblast.
