Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has officially appointed Major General Oleksandr Poklad as the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
The decision was confirmed by Decree No. 622/2026, published on the official website of the Presidential Administration.
The previous First Deputy Head of the SBU is replaced by Yevgen Khmara. The reshuffle became a fact after Khmara was transferred to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, where he took over the functions of interim minister in place of the dismissed Mykhailo Fedorov. According to the official succession regulations in the state apparatus, Oleksandr Poklad was considered a sure successor to the post in intelligence.
The new interim head of the SBU holds the title of “Hero of Ukraine“ (2025) and has over 15 years of experience in the secret service structure. During his career, he headed the Fifth Directorate of the Counterintelligence Department and participated in key operations, including the liberation of the Kiev region and Snake Island.
The changes at the top of the security apparatus are taking place at a time of a large-scale restructuring of the Council of Ministers under the leadership of the new Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky. President Zelensky commented that the reshuffles are aimed at preserving institutional stability and strengthening technological deep strikes against the enemy's logistics.
Sources: ukrinform.ua, news.liga.net, united24media.com