The latest reshuffles affect, among others, the Defense Ministry, the SBU security service, and the Interior Ministry. On July 16, Zelenskyy appointed acting SBU chief Yevhen Khmara as the new acting defense minister. Khmara replaced Mykhailo Fedorov, who had previously resigned.
Khmara is an “ideal candidate” for the post, the presidential office said. He has extensive security and leadership experience as well as knowledge of the front-line situation. The appointment is a “professional challenge” and “serious responsibility” for him, the BBC quoted a source familiar with the matter.
With Khmara’s move, the question of SBU leadership arose. On July 17, it became known that first deputy SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad is temporarily leading the agency. Poklad is a controversial figure: there is a long-standing conflict between him and the head of the presidential office, Kyrylo Budanov, partly over the death of Ukrainian negotiator Denys Kireyev in March 2022. The presidential office assured, however, that Zelenskyy had coordinated the “red lines” with Budanov, making an escalation unlikely for now.
The BBC reported that Poklad is practically irreplaceable for Zelenskyy, as he has enormous experience and influence within the SBU and has been involved in numerous important operations. At the same time, it remains open whether Zelenskyy will also dismiss the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi – this is the central question of the coming week.
Source: www.bbc.com
