India, Jan. 3 -- Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov has been appointed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as his new chief of staff on Friday. Prior to this, Budanov served as the head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR). He is known for his high-profile operations against Russia.

Budanov's journey from intelligence chief to presidential chief of staff makes him central to Ukraine's war strategy, combining battlefield expertise with political influence at a critical time.

He replaces Andrii Yermak, Zelensky's longtime aide, who resigned in November following an anti-corruption raid at his apartment amid an investigation into alleged graft in Ukraine's energy sector.

Kyrylo Budanov was born on 4 January 1986. He holds the ra...