Maliuk Appointed Full-Fledged SSU Head

The Verkhovna Rada appointed Vasyl Maliuk as full-fledged head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU).

324 MPs voted for draft resolution No. 8425, with the minimum required 226, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

The President, the head of his Office, the Prime Minister, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, the Prosecutor General were present at the vote.

In his speech, Zelenskyy called on the MPs to support the appointment of Maliuk.

"We are making personnel changes in the field of security in order to strengthen defense," the President noted.

During the speech, Maliuk noted that he is a military man and has devoted his whole life to the defense of the country.

"The service will be cleansed of traitors. The special emphasis is on the fight against collaborators at all levels," he said during his speech.

The appointment of Maliuk was supported by 226 MPs from the Servant of the People, 0 from the European Solidarity, 18 from the Batkivshchyna, 19 from the Platform for Life and Peace, 12 from the For the Future, 0 from the Holos, 15 from the Dovira, 17 each from the Restoration of Ukraine and non-factional ones.

39-year-old Maliuk has been acting as head of the SSU since July 2022.

Maliuk was born on February 28, 1983 in Korostyshev, Zhytomyr Region. In 2005, he obtained a higher legal education at the National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine, majoring in jurisprudence. In 2001, he began his military service in the state security agencies.

During his service in the regional offices of the SSU, he held positions ranging from operations officer to deputy head of the directorate - head of the department for combating corruption and organized crime.

From January 2020, he transferred to the Central Directorate of the SSU as the first deputy head of the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime. In March 2020, he was appointed the first deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine - the head of the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime of the Central Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine.

In July 2021, Zelenskyy carried out a series of staff rotations in the SSU with the aim of systemic transformation and reform of the department, in particular, Maliuk was dismissed from the position of first deputy head of the SSU - head of the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime of the Central Directorate of the SSU. In February 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed Maliuk as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.

On February 28, 2022, Zelenskyy returned Maliuk to the SSU, appointing him to the post of deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed to the Verkhovna Rada to appoint acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk, to the position of head of the SSU.