Draft

January 3, 2026

Zelenskyy Reshuffles Cabinet as Security Takes Center Stage Amidst Negotiation Fits and Starts

On January 2, 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reshuffled his core cabinet by shifting the current military intelligence, or GRU, chief, Kyrylo Budanov, as his chief of staff. Zelenskyy fired the previous chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, after an energy graft scandal ensnared many in the Ukrainian government amidst an ongoing war. Budanov offers expertise in "strategic security" issues. 

Zelenskyy also brought in the head of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, to replace Denys Shmyhal as the nation's defense minister. Denys Shmyhal took the defense portfolio in July 2025. Denys Shmyhal, who will take another cabinet role, is largely credited for ramping up the domestic interceptor drone production to 1,000 per day in December 2025.