2025 has not been an easy year for Ukraine – both at home and on the international stage.
From Russia’s creeping battlefield gains to the US’s shifting support, and Europe’s disagreements over financing, the pressure has also shaken Kyiv’s government. The prime minister became defense minister during a major cabinet reboot, and the year ended with the resignation of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak – up to that point considered the second most powerful man in Ukraine.
Adding to the turmoil were corruption cases involving some of the country’s highest-ranking officials.
July government reshuffle
Reshuffle, reboot – interpret as you will.
In July 2025, the Ukrainian executive branch underwent a major shakeup – some ministers were sacked, some positions merged, and most switched positions.
Around 90% of ministers kept their posts. Three ministers were replaced, two were reassigned. Notably, a few ministers are either dismissed or simply gone without a post, as their ministries have been scrapped or merged:
- Oleksiy Chernyshov – no longer the minister of national unity after his ministry was abolished.
- Oksana Zholnovych – lost her position as minister of social policy after the ministry was reorganized into the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity under a new minister.
- Mykola Tochytsky – lost his position as the minister of culture & strategic communications. The ministry was later renamed the Ministry of Culture in October, with an acting head serving as its chief.
As mentioned, some ministries were either scrapped or merged:
- Ministry of National Unity – abolished, with its functions absorbed into the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity.
- Ministry of Strategic Industries – abolished/merged into the Ministry of Defense.
- Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food – abolished/merged into the new Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture.
- Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources – abolished/merged into the new Economy/Environment/Agriculture ministry.
- Ministry of Social Policy – renamed/expanded into the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity
Yulia Svyrydenko – the former deputy prime minister and economy minister who had already been handling many government functions – was promoted to prime minister.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal took over as defense minister, stepping into Ukraine’s second-most powerful role in a country at war, where the bulk of the national budget is now devoted to defense.
Read more about how or why the reshuffle happened in this Kyiv Post analysis.
“Mindichgate” and subsequent resignations
In November, a kickback scheme in the energy sector prompted the resignations of the justice and energy ministers.
Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk both resigned after the scandal surfaced, with parliament later approving their dismissals. Halushchenko had served as energy minister before the July reshuffle, while Hrynchuk was his aide.
The case centers on businessman Timur Mindich – a former associate of Zelensky and co-owner of a media company – whose offices were bugged by anti-corruption authorities.
Recordings reportedly show Mindich heading a large-scale corruption and money-laundering network siphoning funds from state energy projects, notably nuclear agency Energoatom. He allegedly pressured top officials, including Halushchenko, to steer lucrative energy and defense contracts to allied companies in exchange for kickbacks.
Read about the political fallout of the “Mindichgate” in this Kyiv Post analysis.
Yermak’s resignation
Then comes Yermak’s resignation.
A former film producer and copyright lawyer, Yermak has been Zelensky’s closest aide since 2019, often called the president’s gatekeeper and second-most powerful figure in Ukraine.
On Nov. 28, Yermak’s home was raided by anti-corruption agencies. While no charges were filed against him, he later announced his resignation on the same day.
He also served as Ukraine’s lead negotiator with the US on a peace plan, with his resignation prompting the formation of a new delegation led by National Security and Defense Council (RNBO) Secretary Rustem Umerov.
Yermak’s resignation was a major shock to Ukrainian politics – both because of the position’s high profile and Yermak’s considerable influence.
The opposition had long called for his dismissal, arguing that his power exceeded constitutional limits and that the cabinet should be the key decision-making body, not the Presidential Office he heads.
Yermak denied the power abuse allegations in an earlier interview with foreign media. Notwithstanding his denials, critics’ allegations of power abuse suggested that Yermak had leverage over key ministers – including Prime Minister Svyrydenko, who served as his aide before becoming a minister.
Nevertheless, issues of power concentration in the Presidential Office predate Yermak’s tenure and have been a systemic dilemma of Ukrainian governance since the country’s independence, as outlined in a Kyiv Post analysis.