Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as his new chief of staff, in one of the most significant reshuffles of his inner circle since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The move comes just over a month after Zelensky’s powerful previous chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned following a raid on his home by anti-corruption investigators.
“Right now, Ukraine needs an even greater focus on security issues, on the development of our defence and security forces, and on the diplomatic track of negotiations,” Zelensky said in a post on social media, alongside a photo of his meeting with Budanov in Kyiv. “Kyrylo has specialist experience in these areas and sufficient strength to deliver results.”
Budanov, 39, has led the HUR military intelligence service and is closely associated with a series of high-profile operations and strikes deep inside Russian-held territory. As chief of staff, he will now oversee the powerful presidential office, a role that has traditionally acted as a central clearing house for political, security and economic decisions.
Zelensky said he has instructed Budanov to update and present key documents on the “strategic foundations” of Ukraine’s defence, signalling an intention to put the presidency firmly on a war footing.
The president also announced plans to overhaul the defence ministry. He said he intends to replace Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal with current Digital Transformation Minister Mykhaylo Fedorov, 34, citing the need to “change the structure of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence”.
Fedorov is best known for creating Diia, Ukraine’s flagship digital public-services platform, and for overseeing rapid expansion of the country’s drone and tech capabilities. Zelensky said Fedorov is “deeply involved with drones” and will be tasked with scaling training for drone operators and integrating new technologies into the armed forces. Shmyhal, he added, will remain part of the governing team in another role.
Zelensky confirmed that Budanov will be replaced as intelligence chief by Oleh Ivashchenko, 56, who previously headed Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service.
Yermak’s resignation on 28 November was widely seen as a major blow to Zelensky. A close confidant, he played a central role in wartime diplomacy and led Kyiv’s negotiating team in talks with the United States on a draft peace framework. Although Yermak has not been charged with any offence and anti-corruption bodies have not explained the search of his home, the raid came amid a sprawling investigation into an alleged $100m embezzlement scheme in the energy sector.
The scandal has shaken Kyiv at a sensitive moment, as Ukraine and its European allies seek to revise a US-led draft peace plan they say is overly favourable to Moscow. Russian officials have seized on the corruption allegations to question Ukraine’s leadership and undermine its diplomatic standing as talks over the war’s endgame continue.
