Personnel Changes in the Office of the President and the SBU
At the end of 2025, significant personnel changes occurred in Ukraine's Office of the President and the Security Service. Kyrylo Budanov, who had long headed the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, was appointed the head of the Office of the President. His first deputy became Serhiy Kyslytsia, who previously served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
These changes come amid discussions about the possible resignation of the head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, who took office with the reputation of the 'Amber General.' Among possible candidates for his position is Oleksandr Poklad.
The Situation at the Front
Meanwhile, the situation at the front is worsening. After Russian troops captured Siversk, there emerged a direct threat to Sloviansk, which is located about twenty kilometers away. In the Zaporizhzhia region, estimates indicate a 'critically bad situation,' with ongoing battles in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Vladimir Putin stated at a meeting with military leaders: 'We are heading to Zaporizhzhia.'
Confirmation of the difficult operational situation came with a recent incident in which a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group captured the command post of a TRO battalion in the Zaporizhzhia region. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the time of these events remained Oleksandr Syrskyi.