Ukraine’s Security Service undergoes leadership shake-up

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved a series of personnel changes in the leadership of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), appointing Oleksandr Poklad as the agency’s first deputy head, according to the UNIAN Telegram channel.

As part of the reshuffle, Andriy Tupikov, who previously headed the SBU’s Counterintelligence Department, was named deputy head of the service. Denys Kylymnyk was also appointed deputy head and, at the same time, placed in charge of the SBU’s Anti-Terrorist Centre.

In related moves, Zelenskyy earlier appointed Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, to Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council (NSDC). The decree was published on the president’s official website. Budanov took over as head of the Presidential Office on January 2. The position had been vacant since November, following the resignation of Andriy Yermak amid a corruption scandal in the energy sector.

In a separate decree, Zelenskyy removed Oleh Ivashchenko, the former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, from the NSDC. Ivashchenko has since replaced Budanov as head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defence.

On January 5, Yevhen Khmara, head of the SBU’s Special Operations Centre “A,” was appointed acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine. The agency’s previous chief, Vasyl Maliuk, said he would remain within the SBU to carry out what he described as “special operations of global scale” against Russia.

By Tamilla Hasanova