Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted his nomination of Vasyl Malyuk to Ukraine’s Parliament for ratification as the head of Ukraine’s state security service, the SBU. Malyuk has been the acting head of SBU since mid-July, when Zelenskyy suddenly dismissed his longtime collaborator, Ivan Bakanov, over charges of having hundreds of traitors in his SBU. On Feb. 1, Malyuk’s SBU team carried out a series of raids against the notorious former Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, and Zelenskyy’s former patron, Ihor Kolomoisky. Malyuk has been connected in Ukrainian media with Oleg Tatarov, a powerful behind-the-scenes player, who is presently serving as the deputy head of the Office of the President.
The previous 24 hours in Kiev had witnessed some sort of power struggle. The parliamentary leader of Zelenskyy’s “Servant of the People” party, David Arakhamia, had posted on Telegram yesterday that Oleksii Reznikov would be replaced as the Minister of Defense by Kyrylo Budanov, the present head of the Defense Ministry’s intelligence arm, GUR. Budanov, notably, had dropped a bombshell on Kiev three weeks ago, when he went public with the story of the SBU’s execution on March 5, 2022 of Denys Kireyev, one of Kiev’s peace negotiators.
Over the next several days, a flurry of corruption charges broke out, including a Jan. 21 story involving massive graft. In particular, Reznikov’s Defense Ministry was exposed to be grossly overpaying contractors for food. Zelenskyy Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak then circled the wagons to protect Reznikov and itself. Arakhamia managed an appearance by Reznikov in front of the parliament, allowing Reznikov’s questionable testimony, and leaving Reznikov’s underling, Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, to fall on his sword. Now, only two weeks later, Arakhamia is pushing Reznikov out!
Ukrinform.net reported Arakhamia’s explanation: “War dictates personnel policy. Time and circumstances require strengthening and regrouping. This is happening now and will be happening in the future.” Arakhamia offered that Reznikov’s demonstrated capacity at Ramstein to get weapons from the West qualified him as a “minister for strategic industries.”
But, Reznikov gave a press conference yesterday, saying that there had to be some kind of “mistake”—that he would not take a position as a minister for strategic industries; and that only Zelenskyy could dismiss him. “[O]nly by the decision of the President of Ukraine” would be removed, and “I will do what the head of state suggests to me.” (https://www.unian.net/politics/reznikov-zayavil-chto-otkazalsya-by-ot-perevoda-na-novuyu-dolzhnost-12134199.html)
By this morning, Arakhamia changed his tune, posting on Telegram that no dismissals or appointments at the Defense Ministry will occur this week. He offered, instead, that the Verkhovna Rada is expected to act on appointments to the heads of the SBU and the Internal Ministry. Later in the day came Zelenskyy’s announcement that Malyuk’s status is to go from acting to permanent head of the SBU. That’s where things stand now, but in a day, or in hours, who knows?
