President Volodymyr Zelensky wants the SBU head Vasyl Malyuk to focus directly on combat operations.
A source in the Presidentʼs Office informed Babel about this.
Also, according to the source, the president is discussing with SBU employees which areas of the serviceʼs work can be strengthened. At the same time, the SBU sources have not yet answered the question of whether Malyuk has submitted his resignation.
The day before, the commanders appealed to the president with a request not to dismiss Vasyl Malyuk.
Officially, the Presidentʼs Office is not commenting on either Malyukʼs possible resignation statement or who the president may consider for the position of the new head of SBU.
According to the law, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine is appointed and dismissed by the Verkhovna Rada upon the proposal of the president.
Zelenskyʼs personnel changes
President Volodymyr Zelensky began the year by reshuffling Ukraineʼs leadership. He first announced 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. Zelenskyy 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 Valerii 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.
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