Appointing Poklad as head of SSU would be clear signal toward creation of a police state, - AntAC
The possible appointment of Oleksandr Poklad as head of the SSU would be a step toward increasing pressure on anti-corruption institutions and independent media.
This is according to the Anti-Corruption Action Center, as reported by Censor.NET.
Details
Several media outlets report that Zelenskyy is considering Oleksandr Poklad as a candidate for the position of head of the Security Service of Ukraine.
"This is the very same Poklad who, last year—as part of the government’s attack on NABU and the SAPO—brought former MP Khrystenko to Ukraine outside of legal procedures. The goal of this abduction operation was to fabricate evidence of a ‘Russian trace’ in NABU.
According to our information, it was Poklad who organized pressure on Khrystenko to falsify testimony against NABU investigators, as well as against the leadership of NABU and the SAPO. "The ‘methods’ used by this SSU official are well known both in political circles and among law enforcement officials," the Anti-Corruption Action Center noted.
This indicates, according to the Anti-Corruption Action Center, that Zelenskyy has still not learned his lesson from the failed attack on NABU and the SAPO in 2025.
"And the very fact of participating in the attack on NABU and the SAPO—which cost our country a significant chunk of its reputation abroad—remains, for Zelenskyy, a reason to promote, rather than dismiss, officials under his control.
At the same time, we’re talking about a reputation that today rests largely on the shoulders of our soldiers. This includes the combat unit of the SSU. Appointing such figures to lead the country’s main intelligence agency is a direct signal toward the creation of a police state, increased pressure, and the preparation of new attacks on anti-corruption institutions, independent media, and civil society," they explained.
At the same time, the media speculate that even Zelenskyy understands that no one in the Verkhovna Rada is prepared to vote for Poklad.
"Therefore, the president is preparing a position for Poklad as ‘acting head of the SBU.’ The only hope is that the president’s team will change their minds after all and refrain from such shameful decisions," the AntAC concluded.
