Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR), will become his new chief political adviser and head of the Presidential Office, elevating a mysterious and high-profile figure credited with some of Ukraine’s most daring wartime operations.
Budanov’s nomination comes as Zelensky seeks to overcome a major corruption scandal that led to the resignation of his long-time chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, in late November.
In a social media post just hours after the announcement, Budanov confirmed he would accept the position, writing on Telegram:
“It is both an honor and a responsibility, at a historic moment for Ukraine, to focus on critically important issues of our state’s strategic security.”
Zelensky praised the appointment, stating that “Kyrylo has specialized experience in these areas and sufficient strength to deliver results.”
‘The Man Without a Smile’
The 39-year-old Budanov, often referred to in Ukrainian media as “the man without a smile,” will assume the post at a crucial moment, as negotiations intensify over efforts to end Russia’s nearly four-year-long war against Ukraine.
Yermak, one of Zelensky’s closest allies, had been the key negotiator in peace talks, particularly with the United States. These talks accelerated in November 2025, after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a peace plan widely seen in Kyiv as favorable to Russia.
Zelensky and his advisers worked to resist the proposal, and shortly before the New Year, Zelensky traveled to Florida to meet Trump, a meeting Ukrainian officials described as largely successful.
From Intelligence Operations to the Presidential Office
A veteran of the war following Russia’s first invasion in 2014, when Crimea was annexed, Budanov was appointed head of HUR in August 2020. Since then, he has overseen some of Ukraine’s boldest intelligence operations during Russia’s full-scale invasion that began in 2022.
As a former member of Unit 2245, a special operations group reportedly trained by the CIA, Budanov has been linked by media reports to the October 2022 bombing of the Kerch Strait Bridge, which connects mainland Russia with Crimea. The bridge was damaged and later repaired, while the Kremlin blamed HUR for the attack.
Budanov has claimed to have survived at least ten assassination attempts, with reports suggesting that his wife was also targeted.
Recent Controversy and Leadership Changes
Earlier this week, Budanov revealed what appeared to be a deception operation involving the reported death of Denis Nikitin, a pro-Ukrainian, anti-Russian militia commander. Ukrainian officials initially announced on December 27 that Nikitin had been killed, while Russia had offered a $500,000 reward for his capture or death.
However, on January 1, Budanov and Nikitin appeared together in an official video, stating that the killing had been staged to collect the Russian bounty and that Nikitin was alive.
On January 2, Zelensky announced that Oleh Ivashchenko, previously head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, will replace Budanov as chief of HUR.
