Zelenskyy approves reform of the Presidential Office: veterans and military with combat experience will be involved
22 August 2025 14:57
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has supported the initiative to reform the Office of the President, which involves the involvement of military personnel with proven combat experience and war veterans in its structure.
This was announced by the head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak on his Telegram channel, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to Yermak, he appealed to the head of state with a proposal to update the personnel policy of the Presidential Office, focusing on those who have been through a full-scale war. The idea is to have people who have real combat experience – both career military and volunteers – working at all levels and in all units.
He emphasized that many of the future employees are not professional military officers – among them are many volunteers who came to the front from the civilian sphere, as well as former employees of private companies. They are united by their shared experience of war, determination, and commitment to Ukraine.
As an example, Yermak cited his deputy, Colonel Pavlo Palisa, who previously commanded the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Kholodny Yar”. At the front, he was responsible for the lives of his subordinates and the success of combat operations, and now, according to Yermak, he demonstrates the same principles in the Office’s work: speed, honesty and responsibility.
Yermak also called for a similar approach in business, IT and culture, emphasizing that the inclusion of veterans in teams makes the system more efficient, fair and sustainable.
In addition, the President of Ukraine signed Decree No. 606/2025, which amended the list of positions to be filled by senior officers, as well as the maximum military and special ranks provided for these positions. The relevant document was published on the official website of the President.
Theamendments relate to Annex No. 1 to the Decree of the President of Ukraine of May 5, 2020 No. 166/2020, which defines the structure and requirements for the personnel of the senior military leadership. The Decree has been amended several times – in particular, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 – which demonstrates the dynamic adaptation of the defense system to new challenges.
In addition, the President signed another decree – No. 605/2025, which amended Article 2¹ of the Decree of the President of Ukraine of May 3, 2017 No. 126/2017. The details of the amendments have not yet been disclosed, but they likely relate to the procedures for appointing or authorizing national security officials.
