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Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will appoint Ukraine’s popular military spymaster as his top aide, weeks after the sacking of his powerful predecessor in a corruption scandal triggered the gravest political crisis of the war.
Kyrylo Budanov, the enigmatic head of the defence ministry’s military intelligence directorate (HUR), said on Telegram that he accepted the role of head of the president’s office. He replaces Andriy Yermak, who was Zelenskyy’s right-hand man and one of the most influential figures in Ukraine until his resignation in November.
“Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues, the development of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track of negotiations, and the Office of the President will primarily serve the fulfilment of these tasks of our state,” Zelenskyy said in a statement published on X announcing the move.
The appointment comes as Ukrainian negotiators push to secure security guarantees from western allies as part of a renewed diplomatic effort to end the war with Russia. Budanov, who is seen as among the few Ukrainian officials to keep an open line with Moscow through the war, including on prisoner exchanges, could be a valuable asset as peace talks press ahead.
The 39-year-old lieutenant general was chosen from a field of top officials including the prime minister, first deputy prime minister, and first deputy foreign minister.
People familiar with the president’s decision said that he had pressed Budanov to accept the role over the course of the past month, and that the intelligence chief — who still prefers field work to office work — had been hesitant at first.
Budanov’s profile has been boosted by slick PR on social media and a series of high-stakes operations by the HUR that have given him cult-like popularity.
He said in a statement posted on social media that it was ‘‘an honor and a responsibility to focus on the critically important issues of our state’s strategic security at this historic time for Ukraine.” He did not say who would take over as head of the country’s military intelligence that he has led since 2020.
Polls have regularly named Budanov as one of the country’s most popular political figures, leading to speculation that he could be one of the chief opponents of the president in future elections.
But the head of the president’s office — a key role in Ukraine’s opaque politics, despite technically being an administrative post — is traditionally a lightning rod for criticism.
Budanov’s predecessor Yermak became the country’s top negotiator as US President Donald Trump sought to put a quick end to the war with Russia. His resignation after a major corruption scandal within the country’s energy sector led to the resignation of two ministers.
Under Budanov, the HUR transformed into a modern intelligence force and also strengthened its ties to the CIA, according to people familiar with the matter.
But Budanov has at times come under quiet scrutiny from Ukraine’s western partners, who have warned the intelligence chief off especially brazen plans for fear they would escalate the conflict, said people familiar with the matter.
The HUR has been involved in a series of sabotage operations within Russia — including assassinations of high-profile military figures — as well as in Moscow-controlled Ukrainian regions.
Several of its units fight on the frontline, and were recently involved in a rare helicopter raid on the outskirts of Pokrovsk, a stronghold in eastern Ukraine that Russian forces have attempted to seize for several months.
Budanov himself began his career within the HUR as a field operative and was reportedly involved in operations behind Russian lines between 2014 and 2022.
His appointment will be legally effective when the corresponding decree has been published.