President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has introduced the new head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, Oleh Ivashchenko.
During the full-scale war, the Foreign Intelligence Service proved that it is capable of obtaining important information and providing the state with high-quality analytical material, he said. For this, Zelenskyy thanked all the employees of the service and, in particular, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, who had headed it since 2021 and has now become the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council.
"I have appointed combat General Oleh Ivashchenko as the new head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. He is a professional who understands intelligence activities and our main state goal now," the president said.
Zelenskyy added that the specific tasks are as follows:
- Ukrainian intelligence should work everywhere in the world where Ukraine has and may have interests,
- everywhere in the world where Putin's system is trying to win something for itself, Ukraine should win,
- expand its presence in parts of the world where there is competition between key global powers.
- The Foreign Intelligence Service should focus on obtaining documentary materials
- ensure non-public activities.
On 26 March, the president appointed Oleh Ivashchenko as the new head of the Foreign Intelligence Service. According to publicly available information, Lt-Gen Oleh Ivashchenko was the deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
According to LB.ua's sources, General Ivashchenko has significant combat experience. In April 2022, Zelenskyy awarded him the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyy, III degree.