President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Timur Tkachenko as head of the Kyiv City Military Administration on July 16, 2026, via Decree No. 615/2026. The move follows months of public tension between Tkachenko and Mayor Vitali Klitschko regarding city security and budget authority, occurring amidst a broader cabinet reshuffle across the Ukrainian government.
Decree No. 615/2026 and the Removal of Timur Tkachenko
The dismissal of Timur Tkachenko was formalized through a presidential decree published on the website of the Office of the President on the evening of July 16, 2026. The official document cites Article 4 of the Law of Ukraine On the Legal Regime of Martial Law as the basis for the decision to remove Tkachenko Timur Firuddinovych from his post. Tkachenko had served in the role since December 31, 2024. While the administration provided no public explanation for the decision in the decree itself, the announcement coincided with significant executive changes at the national level.
Prior to his leadership of the Kyiv City Military Administration (KGVA), Tkachenko held several government roles. In 2023, he was appointed Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, and in 2024, he served as Deputy Minister for the Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.
Public Conflict with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko
Throughout his tenure, Tkachenko frequently clashed with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The disputes centered on the division of power, the management of the city budget, the protection of critical infrastructure, and the status of bomb shelters and the restoration of war-damaged buildings. Tkachenko’s public criticism of the mayor’s administration intensified in the days leading up to his departure.
Vitali Klitschko continues to remove me and representatives of our team from participating in decision-making regarding the security of Kyiv. This directly contradicts the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Legal Regime of Martial Law,’ Tkachenko wrote on July 10, 2026.
Following his official exit, Tkachenko issued a statement thanking the president, the heads of Kyiv’s district state administrations, rescue workers, the police, former heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Development, various public organizations, and several journalistic projects. He emphasized that during his time in office, the number of Russian attacks on the city had increased “multiple times,” but stated, we are fighting back. In his concluding remarks, he addressed the ongoing friction with the mayor, citing the resistance of the huge money machine of the city hall of Vitali Klitschko.
Regional Leadership Changes and Cabinet Reshuffle
The changes affecting the Kyiv military administration are part of a wider government transition. On July 16, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada supported the formation of a new government with 264 votes. This shift involved the transition of two regional administrators into the national cabinet:
- Vitali Kim, formerly head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, was appointed Minister for Veterans Affairs. His resignation from the regional post was accepted by the president via decree No. 614/2026.
- Mykola Kalashnik, formerly head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, transitioned to the role of Minister of Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport, following his dismissal from his previous post via decree No. 613.
To fill the resulting vacancies, the president appointed new acting heads for these regions. Georgiy Reshetilov, who had served as the first deputy head of the Mykolaiv regional administration since autumn 2020, was named acting head of the Mykolaiv region. Ruslan Oliynyk was appointed as the acting head of the Kyiv region. Oliynyk, who previously served as the first deputy to Kalashnik, holds an education in law and public administration, worked in the security sector, was called up to the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the start of the full-scale invasion, and attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2023.
Uncertainty Regarding Future Appointments
As of the evening of July 16, 2026, the website of the President of Ukraine contained no information regarding who would perform the duties of the head of the KGVA or whom the president plans to appoint to the position. The administrative duties currently remain in a state of transition while the government completes its broader personnel reorganization. The dismissal of Tkachenko marks the third cabinet-level resignation in over seven years of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s tenure, again occurring without a public explanation of the specific causes.
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