Zelenskyy sacks deputy head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksandr Tarasovsky from his post as deputy head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service on November 17, Kyiv Independent reports citing presidential decree.

The reason for the dismissal wasn't specified.

Tarasovsky has served in this position since January 2022.

Media reports emerged earlier that the Defence Ministry was considering the potential dismissal of three commanders within Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported on November 13, citing unnamed sources in the country’s military and political leadership.

According to Ukrainska Pravda, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is preparing requests to dismiss Medical Forces Commander Tetiana Ostashchenko, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of the southern Tavria Group, and Joint Forces Commander Serhii Naiev.

Hours after Ukrainska Pravda published the report, the Defence Ministry issued a “response to all media inquiries” saying that “information published by several media outlets is not true.”

The ministry didn’t specify to which reports it was reacting to.

Serhii Nikiforov, a spokesperson for the Presidential Office, told Ukrainska Pravda that the office would announce the dismissals on its website if such decisions are approved.

Meanwhile, one of the media outlet’s sources said the discussions on firing the three commanders have been ongoing for months.