The President denied the intention to dismiss the head of the State Government Budanov and the Minister of Defense Umerov

President Volodymyr Zelensky denied the intention to fire the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov and the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (known as GUR) Kyrylo Budanov.

Zelensky said this during a conversation with journalists, the correspondent of Babel reports.

"I didnʼt mean to do that. I was not going to change Budanov. This information [about the dismissal] was around, yes. There was no such question for Umerov either," Zelensky said.

At the end of September 2024, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov fired two deputy heads of GUR Kyrylo Budanov, and also removed the company "Spetstechnoexport", which was engaged in the purchase of weapons, from the control of GUR.

Babelʼs interlocutors in GUR considered this to be a weakening of Budanov, and the media spread information about preparations for his resignation. The media also talked about Umerovʼs possible resignation. However, only the Deputy Minister of Defense and Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Oleh Ivashchenko were replaced.

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