President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has chosen Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s head of military intelligence, to serve as his new chief of staff, the Associated Press reported. The appointment comes as Russia’s nearly four-year invasion continues and as Ukraine weighs diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war.
Budanov will replace Andrii Yermak, Zelenskyy’s longtime right-hand man, who resigned in November after anti-corruption officials raided his apartment. The AP said the raid was part of an investigation into alleged graft in Ukraine’s energy sector, a move the report described as a blow to the president at a time when Ukraine’s negotiating approach was being shaped by a U.S. peace effort.
Officials said the decision to install Budanov at the center of the presidential administration signals a shift toward prioritizing foreign policy, defense and security as diplomatic efforts intensify. Zelenskyy, the AP reported, has said a peace deal is “90% ready” and warned that the remaining 10%—believed to include issues such as territory—would “determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe.”
Under Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known by its acronym GUR, has led intelligence activities and operations designed to reduce Russia’s capabilities. The AP said Budanov has headed the GUR since 2020 and that, at 39, he has become one of Ukraine’s most recognizable wartime figures, known for an independent, enigmatic profile and for planning operations targeting Russian military assets.
The AP described Budanov as a career intelligence officer who rose through Ukraine’s defense establishment after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. It said he took part in special operations and intelligence missions linked to fighting involving Moscow-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine and Crimea before the full-scale invasion of February 2022, and added that he was reportedly wounded during one such operation.
Since the February 2022 invasion, Budanov has appeared regularly in interviews and briefings associated with Kyiv’s intelligence effort, the AP said. The report described his public role as combining strategic signaling and psychological pressure aimed at Russia, including frequent warnings about Moscow’s long-term intentions toward Ukraine and the region.
The AP said officials credited the GUR with operations targeting Russian command structures, logistics hubs, energy infrastructure and naval assets. It added that officials attributed attacks not only to front-line areas but also deep inside Russian territory and in occupied parts of Ukraine.
Budanov’s visibility has also made him a target, the report said. It said he reportedly survived multiple assassination attempts by Russian security services, and it referenced an episode in November 2023 in which his wife, Marianna, was hospitalized in Kyiv with heavy metals poisoning.
Budanov also brings experience that could intersect with negotiation work, the AP said. The report said he served as part of the delegation that worked with the U.S. negotiating team and had contact with the Russian side on issues such as coordinating prisoner exchanges, though it added that it was not yet clear what role he will play in the peace process in his new position.
In his first comments after the appointment was announced, Budanov thanked Zelenskyy for his trust. On his Telegram page, he wrote: “I continue to serve Ukraine,” and he added, “For me, it is both an honor and a responsibility — at a historic time for Ukraine — to focus on the critically important issues of the state’s strategic security.”