By Ayomide Otitoju
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday appointed military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as the new head of the Presidential Office, following the resignation of his former top aide amid a corruption scandal.
Budanov, 39, has gained wide recognition in Ukraine for overseeing a series of high-profile intelligence and military operations against Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Announcing the decision on social media, Zelensky said he had met with Budanov and offered him the position of Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. He noted that the appointment comes at a critical stage of the nearly four-year conflict, particularly as efforts to end the war intensify.
Earlier this week, Zelensky said a United States-brokered agreement aimed at ending the war was “90 percent” ready. He stressed that Ukraine now required stronger focus on security, defence development and diplomatic negotiations.
“At this time, Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues, the development of the Defence and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track of negotiations,” the president said. “Kyrylo has specialised experience in these areas and sufficient strength to deliver results.”
Budanov, responding to the announcement on Telegram, described the appointment as both an honour and a responsibility, saying he was prepared to concentrate on strategic security issues at a historic moment for the country.
Zelensky’s adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, confirmed that formal procedures to finalise Budanov’s appointment had begun. The president also announced that Budanov would be replaced as head of military intelligence by Oleg Ivashchenko, the current director of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Budanov is set to succeed Andriy Yermak, who resigned in November after investigators searched his residence as part of a broad corruption probe. Yermak, once Zelensky’s closest ally, had become a controversial figure in Kyiv, with critics accusing him of amassing excessive influence and controlling access to the president.
The war between Ukraine and Russia, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II, has claimed tens of thousands of lives and caused widespread destruction across Ukrainian territory.
