“Attempt to control ratings”: is there logic in changing heads of special services?

Mykola Velychkovych, a member of parliament from the European Solidarity party, expressed sharp criticism of personnel reshuffles in intelligence agencies, in particular the removal of effective leaders.

On the air of “Pryamoy”, he noted that the logic of dismissing officials who had demonstrated successful results over the past two years remains incomprehensible to political forces and society.

Velychkovych paid special attention to the transfer of Kyrylo Budanov from the position of head of the Main Intelligence Directorate to the President’s Office, calling it a step that could weaken defense capabilities.

Commenting on these changes, the studio guest emphasized: “He is being taken away. What is this? It is simply a weakening of the combat potential or an attempt to take a high-ranking figure, a military figure under one’s wing and thus try to keep him close to oneself in order to keep his political ambitions or prospects under control.”

In general, according to the People’s Deputy, involving a combat officer in everyday bureaucratic work in the Office of the President does not meet the interests of the country.

Velychkovych added that many military operations were directly tied to the personality of the head of the GUR, so his sudden removal raises skepticism about the true motives for such decisions. The people’s representative believes that this may be an attempt to limit the political prospects of a figure popular among the military and citizens.

Budanov was appointed on January 2, 2026, following the resignation of Andriy Yermak, who left office in November amid a corruption scandal. His dismissal created a long personnel pause and deprived the president of a key political coordinator during a sensitive period of negotiations to end the war with Russia.

On January 5, it became known that Vasyl Malyuk announced his resignation from the post of head of the Security Service of Ukraine . At the same time, he announced that he would remain in the SBU system to carry out special operations. According to journalists, this decision was made after lengthy consultations and pressure from the Office of the President . Malyuk’s team believes that the possible resignation is linked to long-standing conflicts within the government.

However, these latest appointments in the highest echelons of Ukrainian government raise questions about their appropriateness and timeliness in the face of the difficult situation on the front, as it is still unclear whether the president is seeking to build a sustainable governance model or is simply creating controlled chaos for the duration of the negotiations.

It should be noted that in early December, information emerged that the former head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, a week before his own resignation following a corruption scandal , tried to push for the dismissal of the head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk . Yermak allegedly pressured him all last week, demanding his resignation – because he believed that the head of the SBU “overlooked” Operation Midas and did not protect him.

Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , Twitter , Telegram , and Instagram .