Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed and published a decree appointing Kyrylo Budanov as head of the presidential office. The general is due to assume his new duties on January 3. The move is part of the broader personnel reshuffle in the country’s leadership and security institutions announced by the president.
Following Budanov’s transfer, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency was placed under Oleh Ivashchenko, who had previously led the Foreign Intelligence Service. The post at the Foreign Intelligence Service was then taken by Oleksandr Kononenko, who had worked on the release of civilian captives.
According to observers cited in the article, Budanov’s appointment points to a stronger role for the presidential office in wartime. The text also says that, according to sources cited by The New York Times, the 39-year-old Budanov had been integrated into cooperation with U.S. intelligence before Russia’s full-scale invasion and received training through CIA-linked programs. After being wounded in the Donetsk region, he underwent rehabilitation in the United States at the Walter Reed military medical center.
As of publication, the personnel changes had not been fully completed. The article notes uncertainty around the future of Vasyl Maliuk, with reports suggesting he may be moved from the Security Service of Ukraine to the National Security and Defense Council.
Shortly before the New Year, Ukrainian sociologists released fresh polling on possible presidential elections. The article cites a SOCIS survey saying Budanov could defeat Zelensky in a runoff. Oleksii Antypovych, founder of the Rating sociological group, had also said that the highest levels of public trust were currently enjoyed by Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and Budanov.
In his regular evening address, Zelensky said that a “substantial reboot” had begun in Ukraine with the aim of increasing the state’s resilience.
The president also said the post of defense minister had been offered to current Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in place of Denys Shmyhal. Observers expect Shmyhal to remain in the team and possibly move to the energy sector. Zelensky also announced the appointment of a new head of the border service and instructed deputy presidential office chief Pavlo Palisa to establish direct communication with combat brigades to identify decisions that could strengthen Ukraine’s position.