Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s<\/a> close friend and chief adviser, spurred on the Chernyshov probe while also renewing attempts to replace Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) , and Prime Ministery Denys Shmyhal, three unnamed officials told<\/a> the Economist. <\/p>\n There is no evidence that Yermak ordered an investigation into Chernyshov<\/a>, the Economist reports, but officials told the outlet that he influenced the case by allowing it to progress while freezing other investigations. <\/p>\n Chernyshov ran afoul of Yermak by offering himself as an alternative liaison<\/a> to Washington, the officials claimed. His removal would also reportedly clear the way for Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, a Yermak protege, to assume the role of Prime Minister in the event of Shmyhal’s dismissal. <\/p>\n Rumors of a government reshuffle<\/a> unseating Shmyhal have circulated for months. Ukrainian media reported last summer that Zelensky was considering replacing the prime minister<\/a> with Svyrydenko. While several key officials were replaced in a reshuffle<\/a> in September 2024, Shmyhal kept his post. <\/p>\n Chernyshov, too, has said he will not step down from his role as deputy prime minister despite the ongoing corruption probe. \u00a0<\/p>\n Reports of imminent dismissal<\/a> have also periodically surrounded Budanov, Ukraine’s spy chief. Budanov has rejected such rumors as “Russian propaganda”<\/a> in the past. <\/p>\n Sources told the Economist that Yermak was leading another effort to oust Budanov in June 2025. According to the outlet, warnings from the White House<\/a> not to fire Budanov may have helped secure his position. <\/p>\n Politico reported in June that U.S. officials, particularly those working in the Trump administration, found Yermak’s diplomatic style<\/a> abrasive and off-putting, potentially risking U.S.-Ukrainian relations at a critical time. <\/p>\n