Ukrainian parliamentary committee reverses decision and now approves dismissal of Security Service head
The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence has reversed its decision and backed the dismissal of Vasyl Maliuk as Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) on the morning of 13 January.
Source: MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak on Facebook; Ukrainska Pravda sources in the committee
Quote: "Well, the Verkhovna Rada committee on defence has reconsidered yesterday's decision… For – 12, abstained – 1 (Venislavskyi), against – 5 (Kostenko, Bobrovska, Ivchenko, Rakhmanin, Friz). So as of now, the President's submission to dismiss Maliuk as Head of the SSU has been supported by the committee."
Details: One MP told Ukrainska Pravda on 12 January that the committee meeting had been scheduled for the morning of 13 January, including to secure a different decision on Maliuk.
"There will be a repeat committee meeting on Maliuk. They are pushing," he said.
Zhelezniak said the Verkhovna Rada is expected to vote on Maliuk's dismissal on 13 January. He also suggested the authorities have already secured the 226 votes needed to pass the decision.
According to Zhelezniak, the opposition demanded a briefing from Maliuk, while the authorities "asserted that everything is OK".
Background:
- The committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence did not support Maliuk's dismissal on 12 January.
- Earlier in January, Ukrainska Pravda reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy intends to relieve Vasyl Maliuk of his duties as head of the SSU and is considering appointing him as head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine or as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.
- On 3 January, military commanders and analysts posted messages on social media voicing support for Maliuk and opposing his removal from office.
- On 5 January, Zelenskyy announced that he had met with Maliuk and discussed candidates to replace him as head of the Security Service of Ukraine. Maliuk later said in a social media post that he was stepping down.
- On the same day, the Ukrainian leader issued a decree changing the structure of the SSU and appointing Yevhen Khmara, head of the SSU's Special Operations Centre Alpha, as acting head of the agency.
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