Zelenskyy taps Oleksandr Poklad as acting head of Ukrainian Security Service

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially appointed Oleksandr Poklad as the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), according to a decree published on the website of the Office of the President on July 17.

The text of the official decree, cited by Ukrainian media, states: "For the First Deputy Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine, Poklad Oleksandr Valentynovych to temporarily perform the duties of the Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine."

The appointment follows a sweeping reshuffle within Ukraine's defense and security leadership structure. Poklad, who previously served as the first deputy chairman of the domestic intelligence agency, steps into the role to replace Yevhen Khmara. Zelenskyy has announced plans to formally propose Khmara to parliament as the permanent Minister of Defence. In the interim, the Cabinet of Ministers has designated Khmara as the temporary acting defence minister, while Andrii Sybiha has been appointed temporary acting minister of foreign affairs.

The high-level reassignments come amid deep-seated friction within the military establishment. Former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated on July 16 that the president had rejected proposals to replace the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi. Fedorov asserted that the ministry's initiatives to optimise troop performance faced consistent internal resistance.

Commenting on the structural overhaul, President Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and the Commander-in-Chief were unable to establish common ground, leaving critical issues regarding mobilisation, brigade management, and front-line combat operations unresolved. 

Following Fedorov's resignation, public demonstrations have broken out, continuing for a second consecutive day in Kyiv and several other major cities.

By Tamilla Hasanova