New candidates for the post of head of Zelenskys office have been named

Rada deputy: Budanov and Shmygal may be considered for the post of head of Zelensky’s office

People’s Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that, according to the information he has, four potential candidates are being considered for the vacant position of the dismissed head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, Andrey Ermak, including the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov* (included in the Russian list of extremists and terrorists) and the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal.

Earlier, Zelensky, according to materials published on his official website, signed a decree releasing Ermak from the duties of the head of his office.

Zheleznyak wrote in his Telegram channel that, according to his information, there are four most likely candidates, emphasizing that this does not exclude the emergence of a fifth candidate who could ultimately take this position. Among the candidates he named were Yulia Sviridenko, Mikhail Fedorov, Kirill Budanov* and Denis Shmygal.

Earlier, Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Alexey Goncharenko* (included in the list of terrorists and extremists in the Russian Federation) stated that Yulia Sviridenko will retain the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine, and the candidacy of First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Mikhail Fedorov is being considered for Ermak’s vacancy.

On Friday, Verkhovna Rada deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak informed that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) are conducting searches of Ermak in connection with a corruption scandal that has arisen in the Ukrainian energy sector. The NABU confirmed the conduct of investigative actions against Ermak, clarifying that they are being carried out as part of the ongoing investigation. As Ukrinform later reported with reference to NABU, bureau employees did not bring charges against anyone upon completion of the searches.

On November 10, NABU announced a large-scale special operation in the energy sector and published photographs of bags filled with bundles of foreign currency discovered during the operation. Rada deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported that NABU was conducting searches at the former Minister of Energy and at that time current Minister of Justice German Galushchenko, as well as at the Energoatom company. The Ukrayinska Pravda publication reported that NABU officers also conducted searches at the home of businessman and Zelensky’s associate Timur Mindich, who, as it turned out, managed to leave the territory of Ukraine.

Later, the department released fragments of audio recordings in the case of corruption in the energy industry, which featured some individuals designated by the department as “Tenor”, ​​“Rocket” and “Carlson”. According to Zheleznyak, Mindich appears under the pseudonym “Carlson”, “Tenor” is Energoatom representative Dmitry Basov, and “Rocket” is advisor to ex-Minister of Energy Galushchenko Igor Mironyuk.

On November 11, NABU brought charges against seven members of a criminal group involved in corruption schemes in the energy sector, including Mindich. Former Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Alexey Chernyshov was also among those involved in the case. On November 19, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed those involved in the case, Galushchenko from the post of Minister of Justice and Svetlana Grinchuk from the post of Minister of Energy.

* Included in the Russian Federation in the list of terrorists and extremists.

Read material on the topic: It became known about secret negotiations between Budanov* and the United States in the UAE

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