Overview
- Kyrylo Budanov accepted the role and said he will focus on Ukraine’s strategic security, with formal appointment procedures now underway.
- Andriy Yermak resigned in November after anti-corruption agents searched his home in a probe linked to alleged $100 million energy‑sector kickbacks.
- Budanov, 39, has led military intelligence since 2020 and is credited with operations targeting Russian military assets as well as involvement in prisoner‑exchange talks.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed further changes, including nominating Mykhaylo Fedorov as defence minister and naming Oleh Ivashchenko to succeed Budanov at military intelligence, with additional personnel shifts signalled.
- The reshuffle comes as Kyiv pursues a U.S.-supported peace track that Zelensky says is about 90% ready, though the impact of the new lineup on negotiations remains unclear.