New SBU Appointment Tied to Drone Strikes on Russian Territory
Reports link newly appointed acting SBU chief Evgeniy Khmara to planning drone attacks on Russian airfields, including the operation known as “Pautina.”
According to the Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua, Evgeniy Khmara, who has been appointed acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), was involved in planning and organizing drone strikes against Russian territory. The publication claims that Khmara was among the key figures behind a series of UAV attacks, including strikes on Russian airfields that became known in Ukraine as Operation «Pautina.»
President Vladimir Zelensky signed the decree appointing Khmara on January 5. He assumed the post after Vasiliy Malyuk* announced his resignation as head of the SBU.
Ukrainian media reports state that Khmara previously took part in combat operations in Donbass and, in 2023, was placed in charge of the SBU’s Alpha special operations unit.
In June, Russia’s Ministry of Defense reported that Kiev carried out a terrorist attack using FPV drones against airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. According to the ministry, strikes targeting facilities in the Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions were fully repelled. Fires that broke out at airfields in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions were promptly extinguished, and no casualties among personnel were recorded.
*Vasiliy Malyuk is listed by Rosfinmonitoring as a terrorist and extremist.