Zelensky appointed the temporary head of the Security Service of Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky temporarily entrusted the duties of the head of the Security Service of Ukraine to Vasyl Malyuk, the first Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU).

This is stated in Zelenskyʼs decree of July 18.

Vasyl Malyuk has been serving in the state security agencies since 2001. In January 2020, he transferred to the SSU central administration to the position of first deputy head of the main anti-corruption and organized crime department of the SSU.

In March 2020, Zelensky appointed him as the first Deputy Head of the SSU — the head of the main department for fighting corruption and organized crime of the SSU. However, on July 26, 2021, Malyuk was dismissed from this position. At the time, the Presidentʼs Office cited the need to reform the SSU and the fight against smuggling as the reason.

"It is fundamental for the president to significantly intensify the work of the SSU in order to finally put an end to all smuggling schemes. Unfortunately, we havenʼt seen enough work of the Service in this direction lately," explained the adviser to the head of the Presidentʼs Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, at the time.

After that, Malyuk worked as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Denys Monastyrskyi (in this position he replaced the notorious Oleksandr Gogilashvili ).

In September 2021, "Ukrainska Pravda" wrote that Vasyl Malyuk was spotted at the birthday of Oleg Tatarov, the deputy head of the Presidentʼs Office. The celebration was attended by high-ranking law enforcement officers who were connected with the investigation of the case against Tatarov.

• In the evening of July 17, two decrees were issued — on the suspension of the Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and the removal of the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov. Zelensky clarified that they were not fired. The Prosecutor Generalʼs Office and the SSU will conduct official investigations and checks. After that, the president will decide whether to submit documents to the parliament about the dismissal of department heads. Bakanov was removed, and Venediktova was suspended so that they could not influence the investigation.