24 and properly command his behemoth department of over 30,000 agents. Many in Kyiv allege that he failed to respond to Russia’s invasion on Feb. Now some feel vindicated as criticisms of Bakanov reverberate in the halls of government and parliament. But as one of the president’s most trusted confidants and business partners, there was little opponents could do to stop the move. Bakanov’s appointment in 2019 was criticized by opposition parties who said someone with his background was unfit to lead the top intelligence-gathering agency.

For now, much of the SBU’s daily operations are being run from the presidential office and people still in good graces of Zelenskyy and his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.īakanov is a lanky 47-year-old who’s been at Zelenskyy’s side since the latter rose from a scrawny comedian in the industrial, south-central city of Kryvyi Rih to a muscular war-hardened leader famous well beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Ensuring a smooth transition may be tricky with the war still raging, with one official telling POLITICO that Zelenskyy is worried about the optics of sacking someone from his inner circle. Some said the old friends rarely speak these days, save for government business.

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