Appointment that changes the balance: what does Budanov’s arrival in the OP mean?
2 January 20:32
A full-scale war changes not only the course of hostilities, but also the architecture of state power. The appointment of Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov as head of the Office of the President of Ukraine was one of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s most high-profile personnel decisions during the war.
This step signals a strengthening of the security focus in state governance and raises key questions: does this mean a transition to a “military model” of governance, what role will the intelligence services play in political decisions, and will Budanov become not only a war strategist but also one of the country’s key political players? Read more in the article by "Komersant Ukrainian".
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, as the head of the Presidential Office. The head of state announced this on social media, emphasizing the need to strengthen the security and diplomatic areas of the Office.
“Now Ukraine needs to focus more on security issues, the development of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track in the negotiations. Kyrylo has special experience in these areas and sufficient strength to achieve results,” Zelenskyy said.
The decision sparked an active discussion in the expert community, in particular among security and intelligence professionals.
Personnel changes in the special services are a normal practice
Hryhoriy Tamar, a retired Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officer and military expert, gave his assessment of the appointment. According to him, personnel changes in the leadership of special services are a common practice for states at war.
“In general, this is a rather ordinary situation. The leadership of intelligence services changes periodically, and this is normal. Even in Israel, despite the war, there are personnel changes,” noted Tamar.
Tamar cited the example of Israel, where a native of the post-Soviet space, who had no classical intelligence experience but proved himself during the war, was recently appointed to the position of the head of the Mossad’s foreign intelligence.
“This suggests one thing: in times of war, the state is looking for strong managers, not just people with formal experience,” explained Tamar.
At the same time, the expert warned that it is not the fact of personnel changes that is a dangerous signal, but their excessive frequency.
When do reshuffles become a problem?
“It’s not normal when the leadership of special services changes every few months or every six months. This already indicates an internal crisis in the structures,” Tamar emphasized.
According to him, the current situation in Ukraine does not look destabilizing or chaotic.
Budanov’s political ambitions: a risk or a resource?
Hryhoriy Tamar also drew attention to Kyrylo Budanov’s publicity, which is atypical for an intelligence chief.
“A person in such a position should usually remain in the shadows. But Budanov, on the contrary, was very public. This may indicate political ambitions,” Tamar said.
He emphasized that political ambitions are not a negative factor in themselves.
“There is nothing wrong with it. It only forms his personal background and can explain the logic of his current appointment,” Tamar added.
The retired Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officer praised the work of Ukrainian intelligence and special services during the full-scale war with Russia.
“During this extremely difficult war, Budanov proved to be a professional. Ukraine’s intelligence services can record no less, and perhaps even more, successes than the Armed Forces,” Tamar emphasized.
According to Tamar, Ukraine today has aggressive, effective and creative intelligence services that operate at the level of the world’s leading organizations.
What’s next for the DIU?
The expert drew special attention to the fact that Budanov left behind a successor with experience in the intelligence community.
“The fact that he handed over the position to a lieutenant general with extensive experience is not a problem in itself. The other issue is that the new DIU chief will have to prove his professional qualities with concrete actions,” Tamar said.
Let me remind you that from 2015 to 2024, Oleh Ivashchenko served as the first deputy chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. In 2019-2024, he was an assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for Intelligence. In 2024, Ivashchenko was appointed head of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
The SZR’s website states that he served in the Armed Forces in positions both in Ukraine and abroad.
