Ukraine’s Zelenskyy names GUR chief Kyrylo Budanov as top aide

Military quality main has been credited with a bid of daring operations against Russia since it launched its invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has named subject quality main Kyrylo Budanov arsenic his caller main of unit arsenic Ukraine and the United States enactment connected a 20-point plan that could extremity Russia’s war.

“Ukraine needs greater absorption connected information issues, the improvement of the Defence and Security Forces of Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic connected the diplomatic way of negotiations, and the Office of ​the President volition chiefly service the ‌fulfillment of these tasks of our state,” Zelenskyy said connected X connected Friday.

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“Kyrylo has specialized acquisition successful these areas and capable spot to present results,” ‌he added.

The caller station for the caput of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ministry of Defence was announced astatine a cardinal infinitesimal successful the astir four-year warfare with Russia aft Zelenskyy announced connected Wednesday that the US-brokered woody to extremity the struggle was “90 percent” ready.

Budanov has been credited with a bid of daring operations against Russia since it launched an all-out battle against Ukraine successful 2022. The 39-year-old has tally the GUR since being ⁠appointed to the station by Zelenskyy successful August 2020.

Budanov said helium had accepted the information and would “continue to service Ukraine”.

“It is an honour and a work for maine to absorption connected critically important issues of strategical information for our authorities astatine this historical clip for Ukraine,” helium said connected Telegram.

Procedures to formally name him arsenic the president’s main of unit person been launched, Zelenskyy’s advisor Dmytro Lytvyn told journalists.

Budanov volition win Andriy Yermak, a divisive fig successful Kyiv. He was decorated arsenic a Hero ‍of Ukraine and known to beryllium Zelenskyy’s astir important ally, but helium resigned successful November aft investigators raided his location arsenic portion of a sweeping corruption probe.

The corruption ungraded involving Yermak, who was besides Kyiv’s pb negotiator successful US-backed bid talks, fuelled nationalist choler implicit persistent high-level graft.

His opponents accused him of accumulating immense power, acting arsenic a gatekeeper regarding entree to the president and ruthlessly sidelining captious voices.