Volodymyr Zelenskyy overhauls Ukraine’s security apparatus

Stay informed with free updates

Simply sign up to the War in Ukraine myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched a major shake up of Ukraine’s security apparatus, appointing his top military intelligence chief as head of the presidential office and nominating a new defence minister.

The reshuffle of the Ukrainian president’s top team comes weeks after a corruption scandal unleashed an acute political crisis that resulted in the sacking of the previous head of his office.

Zelenskyy said on Friday that he had begun a “substantial overhaul [and] internal changes to make Ukraine more resilient” as the country faces a pivotal moment in efforts to end the war with Russia.

Decrees published on Zelenskyy’s official website confirmed the appointment of Kyrylo Budanov as head of the presidential office — a position that gives him the role of chief of staff. Budanov was previously head of the HUR, the military intelligence agency.

Zelenskyy said he had offered the position of defence minister to Mykhailo Fedorov, a longtime ally who has overseen the modernisation of administrative services as digital transformation minister.

The reshuffle comes as Ukrainian negotiators press for security guarantees from western allies, amid US President Donald Trump’s push to end the war with Russia.

Budanov, who is among the few Ukrainian officials to keep an open line with Moscow through the war, including on prisoner exchanges, could be a valuable asset as peace talks continue.

Budanov said it was “an honour and a responsibility to focus on the critically important issues of our state’s strategic security at this historic time for Ukraine”.

Fedorov, who has also served as first deputy prime minister, has played a central role in shaping Ukraine’s high-tech response to Russia’s full-scale invasion, particularly its so-called “drone line” — a defensive line of drones meant to cause maximum damage against Moscow’s invading forces.

“Mykhailo is deeply involved in the issues related to the ‘drone line’ and works very effectively on digitalising public services and processes,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address on Friday.

“Together with all our military, the army command, national weapons producers and Ukraine’s partners, we must implement defence-sector changes that will be of help.”

Ukraine’s parliament must approve Zelenskyy’s nomination of Fedorov as defence minister.

The president appointed Oleh Ivashchenko, head of the foreign intelligence service, as the new boss of the HUR.

He also moved Serhii Deineko, head of the state border guard service, to the ministry of internal affairs.

Zelenskyy said that “in the near future” interior minister Ihor Klymenko “will propose candidates” to replace Deineko.

He added that outgoing defence minister Denys Shmyhal would be reassigned to a different position.

People familiar with Budanov’s appointment said Zelenskyy had pressed him to accept the position over the course of the past month and that the intelligence chief had been hesitant at first.

The 39-year-old’s profile has been boosted by slick public relations on social media and the HUR’s high-stakes operations that have given him cult-like popularity.

Polls have regularly named Budanov as one of Ukraine’s most popular political figures, leading to speculation that he could be one of the main opponents of Zelenskyy in future elections.

But the head of the presidential office — a crucial role in Ukraine’s opaque politics, despite technically being an administrative post — is traditionally a lightning rod for criticism.

Andriy Yermakthe previous holder of the chief of staff role, became Ukraine’s top negotiator as Trump sought to bring a quick end to the war with Russia.

His ousting after the corruption scandal in the energy sector also led to two ministers resigning.

Under Budanov, the HUR has transformed into a modern intelligence agency and also strengthened its ties to the CIA, people familiar with the matter said.

However, Budanov has at times come under scrutiny from Ukraine’s western partners, who have warned him off especially brazen plans for fear they could escalate the war, these people added.

The HUR has been involved in sabotage operations in Russia — including assassinations of high-profile military figures — as well as in Moscow-controlled Ukrainian regions.

Several of its units fight on the frontline, and were recently involved in a rare helicopter raid on the outskirts of Pokrovsk, a stronghold in eastern Ukraine that Russian forces have tried to seize for several months.