Zelensky names acting heads for Security Service and National Police

Key facts

• Oleksandr Poklad appointed acting head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU).
• Maksym Tsutskiridze appointed temporary head of Ukraine's National Police.
• Poklad previously served as first deputy head of the SBU.
• Tsutskiridze was deputy head of Ukraine's National Police.
• Former SBU chief Yevhen Khmara was appointed acting defense minister on July 16.
• Poklad has faced accusations of fabricating political cases.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Oleksandr Poklad as the acting head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), according to a decree issued on July 17. Concurrently, the Cabinet of Ministers has named Maksym Tsutskiridze as the temporary head of Ukraine's National Police.

Poklad, who previously held the position of first deputy head of the SBU, is expected to step into the top role following the recent appointment of former SBU chief Yevhen Khmara as acting defense minister on July 16. Tsutskiridze, formerly the deputy head of the National Police, was assigned the temporary leadership of the agency, as announced by Taras Melnychuk, the government's parliamentary representative.

Poklad's tenure has not been without controversy. He has faced accusations from the Anti-Corruption Action Center and other activists, who allege his involvement in an attack on the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) in 2025 and the fabrication of political cases.

The leadership changes follow the dismissal of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, which occurred after a cabinet reshuffle and subsequently sparked protests across Ukrainian cities. Fedorov was noted for leading significant defense initiatives, including efforts to disrupt Russian access to Starlink systems, coordinating long-range strikes in occupied Crimea, and initiating military reforms.