New acting Security Service head builds his own chain of command but lacks votes for permanent appointment

Oleksandr Poklad, acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), has begun building his own chain of command within the SSU through sweeping personnel changes, but there are currently not enough votes in the Verkhovna Rada to appoint him as the permanent head of the SSU.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda article

Details: Less than a month after Poklad became acting head of the SSU, the Service's regional branches in eight oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea received new heads.

Brigadier General Oleh Fedoriv has formally taken charge of Special Group Alpha. According to a Ukrainska Pravda source in the security agencies, further personnel changes could soon take place at the SSU's central directorate, including possible replacements of the heads of the Logistics Department and the Operational Documentation Department.

Among the SSU head's four deputies, Ukrainska Pravda sources describe Andrii Tupikov and Yaroslav Merezhko as "Poklad's people".

Under former head Vasyl Maliuk, Tupikov headed the SSU's Counterintelligence Department. He now coordinates a number of areas, ranging from the Service's logistics to sanctions-related work. Merezhko previously headed one of the divisions within the Counterintelligence Department and is now responsible for military counterintelligence and the protection of critical infrastructure facilities.

Ukrainska Pravda sources describe Denys Kylymnyk as the only protégé of Yevhen Khmara among the deputy heads. Kylymnyk heads the SSU's Anti-Terrorist Centre and oversees Alpha's long-range operations.

Back in January and February, influential law enforcement officials told Ukrainska Pravda that they believed Poklad had a better chance of securing the top job at the SSU.

Quote from an Ukrainska Pravda source in the security agencies: "Poklad is a professional operative. He is prepared to use any methods to carry out the president's instructions – both legal methods and not entirely legal methods of 'achieving objectives'. Khmara is more cautious. He tries to act only within the law."

Details: Another Ukrainska Pravda source in law enforcement claims that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave Poklad tasks directly, some of which Khmara was not even aware of.

"Everything is very predictable. Oleksandr Poklad is building his own chain of command and rooting out pockets of resistance," an Ukrainska Pravda source in the leadership of the security establishment said.

Meanwhile, Poklad is described in parliament as "unconfirmable". As things stand, there are not enough votes to appoint him as head of the SSU, and it is unclear whether the leadership of the Servant of the People party will be able to secure the required 226 votes.

Previously: On 4 August, Zelenskyy said that he had approved new operations by the Security Service of Ukraine but did not disclose the results of the 40-day operation announced on 25 June, which was intended to push Russia towards ending the war.

Background:

• On 16 July, Ukrainska Pravda sources in Volodymyr Zelenskyy's team said that Oleksandr Poklad, First Deputy Head of the SSU, would become acting head of the Security Service, replacing Yevhenii Khmara.
• Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he would propose that parliament appoint Yevhenii Khmara as defence minister.
• The Cabinet of Ministers appointed Yevhenii Khmara as acting defence minister and Andrii Sybiha as acting foreign minister.
• On 16 July, former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that the president had rejected a proposal to replace Oleksandr Syrskyi, then commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to Fedorov, all proposals and initiatives put forward by the Defence Ministry to improve the functioning of the Armed Forces had encountered resistance.
• Since 16 July, protests in support of Mykhailo Fedorov have been taking place in Kyiv, near the Office of the President, and in several other cities across the country. Protesters are calling on the authorities to reinstate Fedorov in the new government.
• On 17 July, Zelenskyy officially appointed Oleksandr Poklad as acting head of the SSU.

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