President Volodymyr Zelensky introduced the new head of the Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS) Oleh Ivashchenko and outlined five tasks facing the service.
"He is a professional person, he perfectly understands intelligence activities and the main state goal of ours now. Ukrainian intelligence should work everywhere in the world, where our interests already exist and may exist. Everywhere in the world, where Putinʼs system is trying to win something for itself, Ukraine should win," the president emphasized.
The tasks are the following:
- Ukrainian intelligence should work everywhere in the world where our interests are and can be;
- wherever Putinʼs system tries to win something for itself, Ukraine must win;
- should significantly expand Ukraineʼs presence in those parts of the world where competition between key global powers takes place.
"Above all, I need high-quality information, a high-quality vision of the intentions of various subjects of global and regional relations, a vision of the opportunities available to Ukraine. Fifth: very urgent and practical regarding the specifics of FIS work. During the war, there are things that are not public, which the service must provide promptly and qualitatively. This is the potential of influence measures, agent work and actually military activity that I expect from you," Zelensky said, adding that this is why the Foreign Intelligence Service was headed by a combat general.
In 2019, Oleh Ivashchenko was the lieutenant general of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (known as GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In 2021, he held the position of first deputy chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense.