MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. The Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) accepted the dismissal of Security Service (SBU) Chairman Vasily Malyuk (included in Russia’s list of terrorists and extremists), according to a live broadcast of the session.

A total of 235 lawmakers voted in favor of Malyuk’s dismissal. Two hundred twenty-six votes were needed for the decision to pass.

Malyuk was appointed head of the Security Service in February 2023. Prior to that, he served as the agency’s acting chairman from July 2022. On January 5, it was revealed that Malyuk had submitted his resignation. According to the Ukrainskaya Pravda news outlet, he submitted it after Vladimir Zelensky threatened to fire him. General Yevgeny Khmara, head of the Special Operations Center, has been appointed as the acting Security Service Chairman. On January 12, the parliamentary committee on national security and defense issues failed to vote on Malyuk’s dismissal. Today marks the second attempt to dismiss him, which was successful.