After scandal: Zelenskiy makes head of the secret service the new office manager

Budanov has been head of Ukrainian military intelligence since 2020. The 39-year-old is credited with a series of daring military operations against Russia. He himself took part in several of these missions and was also injured.

Increased focus on security issues

Zelenskiy said Ukraine must focus more on “security issues, the expansion of defense and security forces and the diplomatic path in the negotiations.” “Kyrylo has special experience in these areas and the necessary strength to achieve results,” emphasized the Ukrainian president.

Ukraine, which has been defending itself against a Russian war of aggression for almost four years, has been rocked by a bribery scandal for weeks. Jermak also found himself in need of explanation in this context. At the end of November he resigned after house searches. Yermak is a long-time confidant of Zelensky and was a central figure in negotiations with the Americans to end the war. He had led the Ukrainian negotiating team.