Vasyl Maliuk, formerly First Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Head of the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organised Crime of the Central Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine, replacing the suspended Ivan Bakanov in his duties as head of the law enforcement agency.

Zelenskyy removes head of SBU and Prosecutor General

Head of the Security Service (SBU) Ivan Bakanov and Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova were “removed from duties” and “removed from the post” by…

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The 39-year-old Maliuk began work with the SBU in 2001 as an operative officer. In 2005, he graduated from the National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine with a law degree. In January 2020, he was appointed First Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organised Crime of the SBU, and in March he was promoted to Head of the Directorate and First Deputy of SBU.

Throughout his service, he received numerous commendations and awards. On March 25, 2022, he was given the military rank of Brigadier General by a decree of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The head of SBU, Ivan Bakanov, has been removed from the post under the provisions of Article 47 of the “Disciplinary Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, which states that a “failure to perform (improper performance of) service duties, which led to human casualties or other grave consequences or created a threat of such consequences, shall be among grounds to remove a serviceman from duties.”

In a speech on the evening of July 17, President Zelenskyy said that many officials employed in the SBU had been accused of collaborating with the Russian invaders.

Andriy Smyrnov, Deputy Head of the President’s Office, clarified that the President’s decision did not mean the dismissal of Bakanov or of Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, who has also been suspended in her duties. Investigations will be carried out, after which the President will decide whether to file an appropriate motion to the parliament.