Zelensky Appoints Budanov as Ukraine’s New Chief of Staff
here’s a summary of the news articles provided, as of January 2nd, 2026:
* Zelensky Appoints New Chief of Staff: Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Kyrylo Budanov, the current military intelligence chief, as his new chief of staff. This follows the resignation of the previous aide due to a corruption scandal.
* Ukraine Addresses Strike in Kherson: Ukraine’s defence forces confirmed a strike in occupied Kherson region, but deny targeting civilians. They claim the attack hit a military gathering. Russia alleges the strike, on a hotel and café, killed 27 civilians. Both sides’ accounts are unverified.
* Ukraine Maintains Focus on Military Targets: Kyiv insists its forces only target military objectives, responding to Russia’s accusations of a deadly drone strike on civilians celebrating the New Year in Russian-occupied Kherson.