Zelensky Replaces Ukraine's SBU Chief in High-Stakes Shakeup
Zelensky Replaces Ukraine's SBU Chief in High-Stakes Shakeup
President Zelensky reshuffles Ukraine's Security Service, replacing Vasyl Malyuk with Maj-Gen Yevhenii Khmara, signaling a push for renewed asymmetric operations.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has reshuffled the leadership of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), appointing Maj-Gen Yevhenii Khmara as acting head and removing Vasyl Malyuk, who had led the agency since 2022. Khmara brings battlefield experience from the Donetsk region and is expected to steer the SBU through ongoing security challenges, including covert operations deep into Russia. Malyuk, known for overseeing high-profile operations and for purging suspected Russian double agents, has been a prominent figure in Kyiv's security framework, and his replacement marks another strategic reshuffle in Zelensky's wartime leadership team. Khmara was involved in preparing the hit-and-run drone campaign that targeted air bases inside Russia, a backdrop to the current leadership change. Although Malyuk has been dismissed as SBU chief, he has been asked to continue leading special operations, according to official statements, underscoring a continuity of mission even as leadership shifts occur. The decision has sparked debate within Ukraine, with some military voices arguing the move is short-sighted, while others see it as a necessary recalibration to sustain asymmetric pressure against Russian forces.
