[source]

Executive Summary

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 2 January 2026 appointed Oleksandr Kononenko as head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (FISU). Publicly available information about Kononenko does not include a record of intelligence experience, though he served as the Head of the Academy of Foreign Intelligence in 2021, the year that the Academy was shuttered. At least one member of the Ukrainian parliament has contested Kononenko’s appointment as an installation lacking proper candidacy consideration.

The appointment places FISU under civilian leadership as Kononenko replaces Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko, who now heads the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence. Kononenko brings to the position leadership experience from humanitarian positions that could telegraph the trajectory of his leadership of FISU, including a focus on managing through step-by-step plans and organisational optimisation through cooperation and coordination. Additionally, Kononenko’s experience in pro-Democratic political campaigns, government executive bodies, and as Head of Ukraine’s Academy of Foreign Intelligence, as well as his role as a humanitarian focused on refuting Russian propaganda, likely positions him as an experienced individual in understanding governmental organisations and Russian disinformation and foreign intelligence operations, which will benefit him in leading the FISU.

Profile

Professional Path:

• Appointed as head of the FISU (2026). [source]
• Appointed Head of the Working Group for the Release of Civilians Illegally Detained by the Russian Federation. While also holding the position of the Representative of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the security and defence sector (2024). [source, source]
• Prior to this, he served as Representative of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the security and defence sector (2022). [source]
• Served as the Head of the Academy of Foreign Intelligence of Ukraine. Where he was involved in a cooperation agreement between Ukraine’s National Aviation University and the Foreign Intelligence Academy of Ukraine (2021). [source]
• Served as the Head of the Dnipropetrovsk District Administrative Court (2014). [source]

Recent Significant Professional Activity:

• Firstly, 16 April 2024, Kononenko presented the principles vital for the success of the Working Group for the release of civilians illegally detained in the Russian Federation.  Focusing on the principles of unity, coordination and optimisation of organisational efforts, creation of a joint strategy, and humanitarian missions.[source]
• Secondly, on 30 September 2022, in a briefing titled “Mass abductions of Ukrainian Civilians by the Russian Military,” Kononenko reported that, since February 2022, based on the appeals to the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Commissioner for Human Rights. Ukraine recorded approximately 9000 cases of disappearances of civilians, and only 2,241 of these people have been found. Additionally, he noted that the Russian Federation, in violation of the Geneva Convention, equated Ukrainian civilians with prisoners of war, and that the missing included former law enforcement officers and volunteers. [source]
• Lastly, on 13 August 2022, the Commissioner for Human Rights held a meeting with the relatives of prisoners of war who were captured from Mariupol. Oleksandr Kononenko provided his email address and phone number to receive individual and collective appeals on the protection of military personnel.  [source]

Personal life:

• Full name: Oleksandr Kononenko / Олександр Кононенко [source]
• Born on 16 August 1969 in Kyiv. [source]
• Educated at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. [source]
• Graduated in 1993 with a degree in History from the Faculty of History. [source]
• In the 1990s, Kononenko worked on several key Ukrainian television stations, including UT-1. He held positions including correspondent to program director.[source]
• Additionally, Kononenko was actively involved in public activities related to issues of freedom of speech and the development of democratic institutions. [source] 
• In the early 2000s, Kononenko held a number of positions of responsibility in executive bodies. Specifically relating to information policy and public relations. [source]
• Kononenko is politically affiliated with a political force that supported Ukraine’s European choice and democratic reforms. He actively participated in election campaigns and political discussions, while advocating for governmental transparency and fighting against corruption. [source]

Controversies

• Markedly, on 5 January 2026, Ukrainian MP Kostyantyn Kasai refuted a rumour that Oleksandr Kononenko was “appointed” the head of the FISU. Noting that the “candidacy was not considered” through normal processes.  [source, source]