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Zelenskyy taps military intelligence chief as top aide

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David Sincock
January 3, 2026

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has appointed Gen. Kyrylo Budanov as the new chief of staff. At a pivotal moment in Moscow's nearly four-year invasion, Budanov will be central to Ukraine’s wartime decision-making.

The shake-up follows the resignation of Zelenskyy's former chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, in November 2025 amid a corruption scandal involving alleged graft in Ukraine's energy sector.

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