Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed details about the search for a new head of the Kyiv City Military Administration (KCMA) during a meeting with journalists. The head of state stated that he had offered the post to several managers, but none of them agreed to head the capital. According to Zelenskyy, he asked the Prime Minister to form a special 'cabinet' of experienced managers to develop solutions for managing Kyiv.
A 'Special Cabinet' of Business Managers
'I asked the Prime Minister to gather a special cabinet for Kyiv—business managers, strong people. I am ready to personally talk to whoever they name and ask them. Create such a cabinet and develop solutions,' RBC-Ukraine quotes Zelenskyy as saying. The President emphasized that he is ready to personally convince candidates proposed by the Cabinet of Ministers to join the work on managing the capital. Thus, the selection of the KCMA head is effectively taken outside standard personnel procedures and turned into a project involving business managers not tied to party politics.
Kubrakov, Groysman, and Malyuk: Who Was in the Discussion Circle
Zelenskyy named specific individuals with whom he discussed the possibility of heading the KCMA. Among them were former Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and former Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman. Separately, the President mentioned ex-SBU head Vasyl Malyuk, whom he wanted to involve in the capital's security working group. According to Zelenskyy, these discussions have already taken place, but none of the named candidates accepted the offer at the time of the statement.
Sukhomlyn's Refusal and the Reason for Reluctance to Take On Kyiv
The President also shared that former State Agency for Restoration head Serhiy Sukhomlyn turned down the offer as soon as he learned it concerned Kyiv. Zelenskyy formulated his assessment of the reasons for such resistance: 'No one wants to be associated with it, because later no one will say thank you, and others will constantly talk about politics.' In the head of state's view, managers are scared off by the combination of political criticism and the lack of public gratitude for effective work under martial law.
Context: Tkachenko's Resignation and Conflict with Klitschko
The search for a new KCMA head comes against the backdrop of personnel reshuffles in the summer of 2026. Following the renewal of the Cabinet of Ministers, Zelenskyy dismissed Tymur Tkachenko from the post of KCMA head. First Deputy Andriy Tkachev was appointed acting head. Tkachenko himself received the post of head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, replacing Mykola Kalashnyk, who moved to the position of Minister of Restoration and Infrastructure.
Systemic Conflict Around Capital Management
It is worth noting that the predecessor as KCMA head, Tymur Tkachenko, repeatedly clashed with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Klitschko appealed to the President with complaints about Tkachenko's activities, accusing him of trying to weaken local self-government. In turn, Tkachenko accused the Kyiv City State Administration of sabotaging the installation of mobile shelters. Thus, the issue of managing Kyiv during wartime remains one of the sharpest internal political nodes, intersecting the interests of military command, local self-government, and the presidential vertical.
