Ukraine replaces spy boss who oversaw 'Spiderweb' airbases attack

Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk speaks as he attends a joint press conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other top country officials (not pictured), amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 31, 2025. REUTERS/Alina Smutko/File Photo

KYIV, Jan 5 (Reuters) - President ‌Volodymyr Zelenskiy replaced the head of his powerful security agency on Monday, pressing ahead with a reshuffle of top officials as ‌Russia's war in Ukraine nears the four-year mark with no end in sight despite intense diplomacy.

The removal of Vasyl Maliuk, ‌who oversaw a series of assassinations and a surprise operation codenamed "Spiderweb" that destroyed Russian warplanes, shakes up the leadership of a vast security agency at the heart of Ukraine's shadow war.