Malyuk Agreed to Resign as SBU Head at Zelensky's Request

Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Malyuk agreed to submit a resignation letter after lengthy negotiations with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to journalists, during a meeting on January 3rd, Malyuk initially refused to leave his position, arguing that he was in the final stages of several important operations on the scale of "Pavutyna" (Web), including the undermining of the Crimean Bridge.

Reasons and Circumstances of Resignation

The Presidential Office had several claims against Malyuk:

• Suspicions of improper pressure on NABU and SAP
• Accusations of blatant "commercial activities" within the SBU

Zelensky made it clear that if Malyuk did not voluntarily resign, he might resort to forced dismissal. People's Deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko claims that Malyuk wrote the resignation letter specifically at the president's demand.

Potential Successors

Major General Yevhen Khmara, head of the "Alpha" special unit, may be appointed as the acting head of the SBU.