Zelensky picks Military Intelligence Head Budanov as his new chief of staff
President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Kyrylo Budanov, the military intelligence chief, to take charge of the President's Office on Jan. 2.
"Now, Ukraine needs more focus on security issues, the development of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track in negotiations, and the President's Office will serve primarily to fulfill such tasks," Zelensky said.
Budanov accepted the offer.
"For me, it is an honor and a responsibility to focus on critically important issues of the strategic security of our state at a historic time for Ukraine," he said.
The move follows a major reshuffle that saw the dismissal of Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's long-time chief of staff, in late November. The change occurred amid Ukraine's largest corruption scandal, signaling a shift in leadership dynamics.
A source in the President's Office told the Kyiv Independent that the president's final choice would signal whether his focus lies on domestic affairs, diplomacy, or the battlefield.
Lieutenant General Budanov, 39, has led HUR since 2020. Under his leadership, HUR has evolved into a formidable force during Russia's full-scale invasion.
Budanov has become a household name in Ukraine, his agency is regarded as one of the most competent institutions in the country, while the spy chief has been publicly giving bold predictions about the war's outcome. Not all of them came true.
Under Budanov, HUR conducted operations within Russia and the Ukrainian territories Moscow holds, operated drone units responsible for hitting targets over 1,000 kilometers away, and coordinated the International Legion and a number of other brigades fighting at the front.
In recent months, Budanov also held talks with U.S. and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi.
A lawmaker from Zelensky's Servant of the People party, who spoke with the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity, believes that Budanov's appointment may signal that the widely discussed peace plan will not yield results given the Russian stance.
"We need to prepare for a long, exhausting struggle. And this is exactly the approach that Budanov represents," the lawmaker said.
Lawmakers and experts argue that the most important thing is not who becomes the new head of the President's Office, but the role's future influence. Budanov's predecessor, Yermak, accumulated unprecedented power within the Ukrainian government.
"(Budanov) will need to build his own system, his own vertical of power. I think it will be a different style of leadership for the office," the same source told the Kyiv Independent.
"He's a spymaster, but he's not a master of political intrigue."
Lawmakers from the president's party who spoke with the Kyiv Independent approved Zelensky's choice, while questioning why Budanov agreed to take on this role.
Although Budanov has never announced plans to pursue a political career, he is regularly featured in opinion polls and ranks among the top presidential contenders, behind only Zelensky and Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.K. Valerii Zaluzhny.
According to a recent poll conducted by Socis, Budanov would secure 5.7% in the first round. In a hypothetical runoff between Zelensky and Budanov, the latter one would defeat Zelensky with 56% of the vote against 44%.
According to the Economist, Budanov was close to losing his job in June 2025. The effort to oust the popular spy chief was led by then President's Office Head Yermak, according to the news outlet.
Volodymyr Ariev, a lawmaker from the opposition European Solidarity party, sees Budanov's appointment either as an attempt to remove a political rival or a move to shape him into a possible successor to Zelensky.
"It all depends on how Budanov will position himself going forward — whether he will be willing, once he moves into the cabinet, to let go of his political ambitions," he told the Kyiv Independent.
"Right now, serious changes and reforms are needed. If the president doesn't understand this, then Budanov's role will be reduced to becoming the second Yermak."
