Ministers Shmyhal, Fedorov and the SBU head Malyuk submitted resignation letters to the Verkhovna Rada (UPD)

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has received applications for the resignation of the Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasyl Malyuk.

This was reported by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, on Facebook.

According to him, the parliament will consider the applications in the near future. On January 2, President Volodymyr Zelensky offered Fedorov the position of Minister of Defense, and Shmyhal the position of Minister of Energy.

Mykhailo Fedorov has headed the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine since August 29, 2019. Denys Shmyhal has held the position of Minister of Defense of Ukraine since July 17, 2025.

According to Zelensky, he decided to appoint Shmyhal as Minister of Energy in order to quickly restore energy infrastructure after Russian strikes and develop the energy sector.

Later, the SBU head Vasyl Malyuk also submitted his resignation to the Verkhovna Rada, Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk reported.

Malyuk reported his resignation on January 5. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wanted Malyuk to engage in combat work. The head of the SBUʼs Special Operations Center "A" Yevhen Khmara was appointed to temporarily act as head of SBU.

Zelenskyʼs personnel changes

President Volodymyr Zelensky began the year by reshuffling Ukraineʼs leadership. He first reported that, effective January 2, the Office of the President would be headed by Kyrylo Budanov, who was previously head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (now GUR is headed by former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Oleh Ivashchenko). He replaced Andriy Yermak, who was dismissed on November 28.

Now, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsia will become Budanovʼs first deputy in the Presidential Administration. Zelensky has offered Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal the position of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy. In return, the current Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov will receive the position of Defense Minister.

On the eve of the meeting, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported the change of the head of the State Border Service of Ukraine. According to Zelensky, under the leadership of Serhiy Deyneko, the State Border Service of Ukraine "has come a long way in development and strengthening", but there is a need to change approaches to the work of the Service.

On January 4, Zelensky signed a decree appointing Valeriy Vavryniuk as the acting head of the State Border Service of Ukraine.

On January 5, Serhiy Kyslytsia was appointed First Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. On the same day, Vasyl Malyuk reported that he was resigning from the post of the head of the Security Service of Ukraine. He will now be replaced by Yevhen Khmara.

Already on January 8, Zelensky signed decrees appointing new heads of the Chernivtsi, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, and Vinnytsia regional state administrations.

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