UP: New intelligence chief attempting to push out Budanov's influence and removing his people from posts

Oleh Ivashchenko, current Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), is attempting to weaken his predecessor Kyrylo Budanov's influence over DIU and has already removed many of his people from their posts.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda article

Details: According to UP, Ivashchenko is "doing everything possible to push out" former military intelligence chief Budanov's influence over DIU.

"Ivashchenko has removed many of Budanov's people from their posts," a UP source in the security services said.

At the same time, the current DIU chief is closely coordinating with Oleksandr Poklad, the acting head of Ukraine's Security Service (SSU), on operational matters.

According to one of UP's sources among influential law enforcement officials, Poklad may in particular inform Ivashchenko about DIU staff members whom he believes are in a "risk group".

"Poklad informs Ivashchenko that someone among the DIU staff may be in a 'risk group'. Ivashchenko listens and reacts quickly," the UP source said.

Against this backdrop, tension between Budanov and Poklad is intensifying, UP reports. The two had no friendly relations previously either.

Sources within the president's team tell the outlet that Budanov even threatened to resign from his post as head of the Office of the President if Zelenskyy submitted to the Ukrainian Parliament a nomination to appoint Poklad as SSU chief.

The article also reports that Oleksandr Poklad has begun building his own vertical within the Service through large-scale personnel changes, though there are currently insufficient votes in the Verkhovna Rada for his full appointment as SSU chief.

On 2 January 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Oleh Ivashchenko, the former chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service, as head of DIU.

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