Zelenskyy appoints Poklad as acting head of Security Service of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially appointed Oleksandr Poklad as acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine on 17 July.

Source: a decree posted on the President's Office website

Quote: "Oleksandr Poklad, First Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, shall temporarily perform the duties of the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine."

Background:

• On 16 July, Ukrainska Pravda sources within Zelenskyy's team reported that Poklad would become acting head of the Security Service, replacing Yevhen Khmara.
• Earlier that day, Zelenskyy said he would propose that parliament appoint Khmara as defence minister.
• The Cabinet of Ministers (Ukrainian government) appointed Khmara as acting minister of defence and Andrii Sybiha as acting minister of foreign affairs.
• On 16 July, former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Zelenskyy had not agreed to replace Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, and that all Defence Ministry proposals and initiatives on improving the military's performance had met with resistance.
• Commenting on the upcoming changes at the Ministry of Defence, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and Syrskyi had been unable to find common ground, and that problems on the battlefield, in brigades and with mobilisation had remained unresolved.
• Protests in support of Fedorov have continued for a second consecutive day in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine following his dismissal.

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