Zelenskyy appoints Poklad as acting head of Security Service of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially appointed Oleksandr Poklad as acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine on 17 July, according to a decree published on the President's Office website. The decree states that Poklad, who serves as First Deputy Head of the Security Service, will temporarily perform the duties of the Head of the Security Service.

The move follows reports from Ukrainska Pravda sources within Zelenskyy's team on 16 July that Poklad would become acting head, replacing Yevhen Khmara. Earlier that day, Zelenskyy said he would propose that Parliament appoint Khmara as defence minister. The Cabinet of Ministers had already appointed Khmara as acting minister of defence and Andrii Sybiha as acting minister of foreign affairs.

On 16 July, former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that Zelenskyy had not agreed to replace Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, and that all Defence Ministry proposals and initiatives on improving the military's performance had met with resistance. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and Syrskyi had been unable to find common ground, and that problems on the battlefield, in brigades and with mobilisation remained unresolved.

Protests in support of Fedorov continued for a second consecutive day in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine following his dismissal.