Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Vadym Chenchyk as the temporary head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine under an official presidential decree. The appointment was formalised on August 31 to ensure continuous leadership across the national border agency.
According to the text of the decree published by the presidency, Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service Vadym Mykolaiovych Chenchyk will temporarily perform the duties of Chairman of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Chenchyk has served as deputy head of the state border agency since September 2019.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is a specialized law enforcement body responsible for protecting the national borders, territorial waters, and sovereign economic zone of Ukraine. Operating under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the agency handles border clearance, security intelligence, and enforcement against cross-border criminality along the nation's international boundaries. The organisation also oversees land border checkpoints, maritime border units, and passport control procedures at entry points nationwide.
Corruption investigation and leadership changes
Zelenskyy previously announced upcoming changes to the leadership of the border service in January. His statement followed the departure of Chenchyk's predecessor, Serhii Deineko, who had led the State Border Guard Service until early January.
On January 22, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office announced that they had exposed a former top official and a current official of the border service for systematically receiving unlawful benefits. Investigators stated that illicit payments were accepted in exchange for facilitating unimpeded crossings of the Ukrainian state border.
Law enforcement authorities named the former head of the State Border Guard Service among the suspects involved in the scheme. Although anti-corruption agencies did not publicly name the individuals under investigation, Ukrainian media outlets reported that law enforcement officers conducted searches at properties associated with Serhii Deineko. Deineko did not comment on the investigative actions.
Anti-corruption oversight in Ukraine
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, known as NABU, and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, known as SAPO, serve as Ukraine's primary state bodies for investigating high-level government corruption. Established as part of major administrative reforms following 2014, NABU conducts independent criminal investigations into senior officials, while SAPO works alongside it to direct legal proceedings and present indictments before the judiciary.
The decree signed by Zelenskyy assigns Chenchyk to lead the border agency on an interim basis as the State Border Guard Service maintains its official security operations across the country.
