Interviewer Svetlana Sorokina: "Was it a surprise for you or had you known about this for some time?"

Yakushkin: "No, I did not know about this. I work with the president and know his schedule, therefore if he leaves home earlier than planned and is to arrive in the Kremlin earlier too, I already know this and, naturally, leave home earlier and come to the Kremlin earlier."

"I already realised that something unusual was taking place because the president is now in the Central Clinical Hospital. He returned there from the Kremlin.

"And it was from the CCH that he came to the Kremlin this morning to conduct this meeting and carry out this reshuffle. Of course, I anticipated certain events."

Sorokina: "Still, were you surprised by the number of resignations?"

Yakushkin: "Yes, naturally I was, but I cannot say that this could not have been foreseen."

Sorokina: "There have been reports that the only people Yeltsin sought advice from were [outgoing administration head] Valentin Yumashev and Tatyana Dyachenko. Is it true?"

Yakushkin: "This is not true. He does not seek advice, especially on matters of this kind. He met Valentin Yumashev on Saturday.

"As regards Tatyana Borisovna Dyachenko, who is an aide in the administration, he sees her quite often because she is his daughter. However, he did not discuss this issue with her."

Sorokina: "Who did he discuss it with then?"

Yakushkin: "I think he took the decision himself. Naturally, of course, the new leader of the administration knew what was going on before it happened, as he said in an interview on your channel."

Sorokina: "And Prime Minister Primakov, the state's second-in-command? Didn't he seek his advice or let him in on his plans?"

Yakushkin: "As far as I know, Boris Nikolayevich told Yevgeny Maksimovich of today's final decisions this morning after he had held the meeting - because first he had a meeting with Valentin Yumashev and Nikolay Bordyuzha and then he got the leaders of his administration together."

Sorokina: "What specific tasks is Bordyuzha faced with? Are they all in line with those the presidential administration has in its arsenal or are they special ones?"

Yakushkin: "They are the same, no radical changes, the administration still has to do its political work. As before, the administration is the main aide to the president in his work.

"This is his staff. The staff he can rely on. Besides, today's reshuffle happened as far I understand it, because the president has confidence in the people who are left.

"He does not make distinctions. In no way should one think that those who left are bad people and those who stayed are good.