President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Oleh Ivashchenko, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, as the new chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.
"From today, Oleh Ivashchenko will continue to serve our state and carry out tasks to limit Russian military potential in the position of Ukraine's military intelligence," Zelenskyy wrote.
The move follows Zelenskyy's proposal for current GUR head Kyrylo Budanov to lead the President's Office, which Budanov accepted.
Ivashchenko's appointment marks a return to military intelligence after just over a year heading the Foreign Intelligence Service. Zelenskyy appointed him to that role in March 2024, after Ivashchenko had served as first deputy head of GUR and assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on intelligence matters.
Before his recent appointment to the Foreign Intelligence Service, Ivashchenko spent nine years as first deputy head of GUR. He simultaneously served as deputy chief of the General Staff for intelligence, then as assistant to the Commander-in-Chief on intelligence issues.
"At the General Staff, I reported intelligence information daily to the Chief of the General Staff and the Minister of Defense, participated in assessing the military-strategic situation and external threats, as well as in planning the state's defense," Ivashchenko said about that period.
The career officer served in the elite special forces unit known as subdivision 2245 and participated in special operations that remain classified. He holds the rank of lieutenant general and received the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, third degree, in March 2022 for combat participation.
During a meeting with Ivashchenko prior to the appointment, Zelenskyy outlined priorities for intelligence work. "We focus on further reducing Russia's economic potential: the less the aggressor earns, the more opportunities there will be for diplomacy. This especially concerns Russian oil exports, which will be limited and made cheaper," the president stated.
He added: "We act similarly regarding Russian military production: the more we sever the aggressor's connections with the world and circumvent sanctions schemes, the more potential there will be in efforts to end the war."
Little information about Ivashchenko exists in open sources, with most details about the official classified, according to media reports. The Foreign Intelligence Service traditionally focuses on political and economic intelligence, with its main task being to inform top state officials about the intentions of foreign policy players.
The full-scale war shifted the agency's priorities, with Russia and its allies now at the forefront of intelligence work.
In his first interview during the full-scale invasion, given to Ukrinform, Ivashchenko discussed Russia's strategic plans regarding Ukraine, its economic and military-technical potential, mobilization resources, and assistance in the war from allied states: North Korea, Iran, and Belarus.
Background
The appointment of Ivashchenko to lead GUR follows a significant reshuffling of Ukraine's leadership structure. President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, as the new chief of the Presidential Office, according to a statement Zelensky posted on social media.
The move came after the dismissal of Andriy Yermak against the backdrop of searches by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) at Yermak's residence as part of Operation Midas — an investigation into embezzlement at Energoatom.
