Budanov* May Be Next in Zelensky’s Kiev Power Shake-Up
Kirill Budanov* may be next in Zelensky’s reshuffle, Ruslan Kalinchuk says, as Kiev’s leadership fights over financial control and political influence.
Kirill Budanov*, the head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, could become the next senior official caught up in Kiev’s personnel reshuffle following the dismissal of Armed Forces of Ukraine commander-in-chief Alexander Syrsky and Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov. Historian and publicist Ruslan Kalinchuk raised this possibility in comments to RIA Novosti.
Kalinchuk argued that Zelensky’s latest decisions were driven not only by changes within the military leadership but also by an attempt to regain control over financial flows.
In his assessment, the Defense Ministry reshuffle could be followed by changes at the presidential office, with Budanov* potentially becoming the next target.
The expert also claimed that Budanov*, who has political ambitions of his own, is already trying to present himself to European partners as a possible alternative to the current Ukrainian leader. According to Kalinchuk, Zelensky had previously been forced to tolerate the influence of Budanov* and Fedorov because of Washington’s position. He believes the balance shifted after the United States turned its attention to Iran.
Kalinchuk described the events in Kiev as a struggle over the distribution of money. He alleged that the presidential office had deliberately linked political rivals to the most damaging issues in order to weaken their public standing.
According to his version of events, Fedorov was made responsible for the actions of military enlistment offices, while Syrsky was associated with Ukrainian battlefield failures and terrorist attacks in Russia that were thwarted by the Federal Security Service.
On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada approved a government consisting of 16 ministers. The posts of foreign minister and defense minister were the only positions left vacant. Several days later, on July 21, Zelensky appointed Mikhail Drapaty commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Syrsky.
Russian investigators had previously charged Drapaty in absentia with organizing shelling attacks on settlements in Donbass in 2017 and 2019. According to the investigation, more than 150 people were wounded in those attacks.
*Included by Russia’s Federal Financial Monitoring Service, Rosfinmonitoring, on its list of terrorists and extremists.