Who will take over the leadership of Ukrainian military espionage after Budanov was appointed by Zelensky as his chief of staff
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to a drone factory on November 19, 2024 in Kiev, Ukraine. PHOTO: Ukraine Presidency/Ukrainian Pre / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced on Friday the appointment of the current director of the General Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR), Kirilo Budanov, as the new head of the Presidential Chancellery. He also appointed the head of the foreign intelligence service, Oleg Ivaşchenko, as the new head of the military intelligence service.
“I met with Kiril Budanov and offered him the position of head of the Chancellery of the President of Ukraine,” announced Volodymyr Zelensky in a Telegram message, according to EFE and Agerpres.
This appointment comes after, in November, the president announced the resignation of Andrii Iermak, former director of the presidential office, investigated by the anti-corruption authorities.
Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine must continue to focus on security tasks, the development of defense forces and diplomatic negotiations, and the Presidential Chancellery will support the fulfillment of these goals.
He appreciated Budanov's “special” experience in these areas and specified that, although he has not yet been officially appointed, Budanov has already been tasked with collaborating with the national security authorities and the Defense Council of Ukraine to update and present the state's defensive strategy.
Surprise announcement by Zelensky, who proposed General Budanov to be his chief of staff
Budanov's career
39-year-old Kirilo Budanov has been leading the GUR since 2020. In his Telegram message, he said he accepts the appointment and thanks President Zelensky for the trust: “I consider the position of head of the Chancellery a new milestone of my responsibility to the country. It is a privilege and a responsibility to focus on critical issues related to the strategic security of our state in these historical moments.”
GUR is considered one of the most competent institutions in Ukraine, according to The Kyiv Independent publication.
Among his recent successful operations is the fake death of Denis Kapustin, the leader of a group of Russian volunteers fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. Kapustin was the target of the Russian secret services, which had allocated approximately 500,000 dollars to assassinate him. The GUR operation, carried out for over a month, saved his life, and Budanov later congratulated the volunteer on his return.
According to the GUR spokesman, Budanov was the target of “more than ten assassination attempts”, writes AFP.
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Iermak's legacy
Budanov's appointment follows the resignation of Andriy Iermak, announced by Zelenskiy on November 28, the day anti-corruption authorities raided his apartment and office. During the war, Yermak was considered the most influential figure in Ukraine after the president, practically the de facto prime minister and the country's main representative abroad, often surpassing the foreign minister.
Budanov also sent a message to his “colleagues in the military intelligence services”: “We will continue to do our duty to defeat the enemy, defend Ukraine and work for a just peace.”
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Oleg Ivaşchenko, more discreet than Budanov
“Starting today, Oleg Ivashchenko (the head of the foreign intelligence service) will continue to serve our state (…) within the military intelligence services”, with the mission of “limiting the Russian military potential”, announced Zelensky on social networks.
General Oleg Ivaşchenko was appointed head of foreign intelligence services in 2024, after nine years of service within the GUR, according to his short official biography.
Even more discreet than Kirilo Budanov, he studied at several Ukrainian military and civilian universities and participated in battles, according to the media. The Ukrainian press attributes his age to 56 years.
He received several state decorations, particularly for his “courage” in the first weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, according to a presidential decree to that effect.
