KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelensky has chosen Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, as his new chief of staff, a move that comes at a particularly critical moment in Russia’s nearly four-year invasion.
Budanov replaces Andrii Yermak, Zelensky’s longtime right-hand man, who resigned in November after anti-corruption officials raided his apartment as part of an investigation into alleged corruption in Ukraine’s energy sector. The move against the powerful aide is a blow to the president and threatens to disrupt his negotiating strategy in U.S. peace efforts.
What to know about Budanov:
promotion
Budanov has led the military intelligence agency (GUR) since 2020. The 39-year-old was one of Ukraine’s best-known and most popular wartime figures, known for masterminding many successful operations against Russian military assets, as well as for his independent and enigmatic personality.
Budanov was a career military intelligence officer who brought battlefield knowledge to his new position.
He rose through the ranks of the defense establishment after Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. He also took part in special operations and intelligence missions related to the fighting against Moscow-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine and Crimea before a full-scale invasion in February 2022. He was reportedly injured during one such operation.
Taking the war to Russian-controlled territory
Since that invasion, Budanov has become a key figure in Kiev’s intelligence operations, appearing regularly in interviews and briefings that combine strategic signals with psychological pressure on Russia. He has frequently warned of Moscow’s long-term intentions toward Ukraine and the region, and has portrayed the war as an existential fight for the country’s statehood.
Under Budanov, the General Intelligence Service expanded its reach, coordinating intelligence, sabotage and special operations aimed at reducing Russia’s military capabilities beyond the front lines.
Officials credited military intelligence with operations targeting Russian command structures, logistics centers, energy infrastructure and naval assets, including strikes deep into Russian territory and occupied areas of Ukraine.
Targeted by Russia
Budanov’s role and public standing made him a target. He reportedly survived multiple assassination attempts by Russian security services. In November 2023, his wife Marianna was hospitalized in Kiev due to heavy metal poisoning.
His appointment to lead the presidential administration marks a shift at the heart of the administration, which prioritizes foreign policy, defense and security amid intensifying diplomatic efforts to end the Russian invasion. Zelensky said the peace deal was “90 per cent ready” but warned that the remaining 10 per cent – believed to include key issues such as territory – would “determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe”.
Budanov is part of the delegation working with the U.S. negotiating team. He also had contact with Russia on issues such as coordinating prisoner exchanges. It is unclear what role, if any, he will play in the peace process in his new position.
In his first comments since the appointment was announced, Budanov thanked Zelensky for his trust.
“I continue to serve Ukraine,” he wrote on his Telegram page. “For me, it is both an honor and a responsibility to focus on vital issues of the country’s strategic security during this historic moment in Ukraine.”
