Zelensky announces further purges in Ukraine’s Security Service

Ukraine crisisZelensky announces further purges in Ukraine’s Security Service Vladimir Zelensky changed SBU regional directorate chiefs in eight Ukrainian regionsMOSCOW, August 4. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky has announced further purges in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU). "I coordinated with the SBU head on the next steps to clean up the service's internal structure," he wrote on his Telegram channel following a meeting with the SBU acting head Alexander Poklad. Poklad was appointed SBU head on July 17, succeeding Yevgeny Khmara, who was appointed acting defense minister. Poklad was previously the service’s deputy head. It was reported on July 30 that Zelensky changed SBU regional directorate chiefs in eight Ukrainian regions - the Zhitomir, Lvov, Nikolayev, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopol, Cherkassy, and Chernovtsy Regions. Former SBU chief Vasily Malyuk resigned on January 5. Ukraine’s media noted back then that he had done this under the pressure from the Zelensky office. A month later, in early February, Zelensky announced first purges within the SBU, saying that the service must get rid of people who "are working not in Ukraine’s interests." 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