Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko, who currently leads the Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS), may be appointed as the new head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, replacing Kyrylo Budanov.
Appointment Prerequisites
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently appointed Kyrylo Budanov as the head of the Presidential Office, as a result of which the position of GUR leader became vacant. According to several Ukrainian media outlets, including "Ukrainian Pravda" and LB.ua, Oleh Ivashchenko is the most likely candidate for this position.
Oleh Ivashchenko's Profile
Oleh Ivashchenko has been leading the FIS for less than a year - since March 2024. Prior to that, from 2015, he held the position of first deputy head of GUR and assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for intelligence. The general has significant combat experience, having served in the Armed Forces both in Ukraine and abroad.
Political Context
Interestingly, Ivashchenko was previously associated with the team of former Presidential Office head Andrii Yermak. People's Deputy from the "Holos" faction, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, noted that Ivashchenko was previously part of Yermak's quota, although this information currently requires clarification.
There is no official confirmation of the appointment yet, but several independent sources report a high probability of Oleh Ivashchenko being appointed as the GUR leader.
