"So far, the only one". Interior minister names main candidate for head of State Border Guard Service

As of now, the acting head of the State Border Guard Service, Valeriy Vavryniuk, is the only candidate to head the agency on a permanent basis. The minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said this in response to a question from LIGA.net.

"So far, Vavryniuk remains the only candidate for the post of head of the State Border Guard Service. We need some more time to make a final decision. Maybe up to a month. We will analyze how he manages to cope with tasks of this level," he said.

According to the official, so far Vavrynenko's results in office have been positive.

Klymenko noted that the acting head of the border guards has "an understanding of systemic work" and combat experience.

However, the Interior minister admitted that in any case, the final decision will be up to the president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On the website of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine indicated that Vavryniuk took part in combat operations in the east of Ukraine and was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III degree, and the presidential distinction "For Participation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation." He holds the rank of major general.

• Vavryniuk has been the first deputy head of the State Border Guard Service since October 2025. On January 4, president Zelenskyy appointed him as interim head of the agency and fired the former chief of the service Deineko.