- Ukraine spy chief Vasyl Malyuk resigns under pressure.
- Forced out amid major internal security scandals.
- SBU leadership shakeup follows operational failures exposed.
Vasyl Malyuk, who was granted the Hero of Ukraine last year, reportedly resigned as chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) at a meeting with the president on Monday.
Malyuk announced his retirement on the SBU's official Telegram channel, stating that he will remain with the organization to supervise "world-class asymmetric special operations" against Russia.
He wrote:
“I am leaving my post as head of the Security Service. I will stay in the system to carry out operations that continue to inflict maximum damage on the enemy. A strong, modern intelligence service is key to our state’s security.”
Zelenskyy announced that Malyuk, who was in charge of Operation Spiderweb, the audacious destruction of Russia's strategic bombers last year, would now be in charge of unconventional warfare.
He said:
“I had a meeting with Vasyl Maliuk. I thanked him for his combat service and proposed that he focus on this line of work specifically.
There must be more Ukrainian asymmetric operations against the occupier and the Russian state and more solid results in eliminating the enemy.
This is where Vasyl is at his strongest, and this is exactly what he will continue to do within the Security Service of Ukraine.”
When a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles emerged from lorries and attacked strategic bombers on airfields deep within Russia in June of last year, causing an estimated $7 billion in damage, Malyuk was praised.
The president's former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, allegedly orchestrated the spy chief's dismissal as payback, according to the Ukrainska Pravda tabloid, which has access to persons close to Malyuk.
Yermak's apartment was the target of an anti-corruption campaign in November. In fact, he later abnegated even though he was not formally charged with a crime.
Some in the government believe Zelenskyy is keen to remove popular and well-liked people from their positions because he is watching the next presidential contest.
The implicit successor to Zelenskyy, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was dismissed from his position as head of the Ukrainian army in 2024.
Since being appointed minister to the United Kingdom, he has kept a low profile.
Malyuk's position has been temporarily filled by Maj Gen Yevhen Khmara, who oversaw the SBU's elite nascence special operations team.
What role will Malyuk play after stepping down?
Vasyl Malyuk will remain within Ukraine's SBU security service to lead a recently created unit concentrated on" world- class asymmetric special operations" against Russia.
Malyuk originally defied, citing critical ongoing operations analogous to Operation Spiderweb, the June 2025 drone strikes that destroyed 41 Russian aircraft but conceded after Zelenskyy's direct intervention, despite public support from military commanders like Mykhailo Drapatyi who advised of defense impacts.
The shift follows Zelenskyy's direct pressure for abdication amid internal dishonors, allowing durability of Malyuk's politics while Colonel Yevhen Khmara handles broader leadership; military leaders who opposed the move now support the division enhancing frontline impact.