Evhenii Khmara rose from special forces commander to lead Ukraine's intelligence agency amid war.
Evhenii Khmara: From Alpha Unit Commander To SBU Leadership
Yevhenii Leonidovych Khmara is a Ukrainian security service officer who has served within the Security Service of Ukraine structure for nearly fifteen years. His career began in 2011 at the Special Operations Center known as Group Alpha, an elite unit within the SBU responsible for counterterrorism and high-risk special missions. Members of this unit have been actively engaged in combat operations throughout the Russo-Ukrainian War, often operating directly on the front lines and behind enemy territory.
Evhenii Khmara deployed to eastern Ukraine at the onset of the Donbas conflict in 2014 and continued serving through the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022. During the early days of the invasion, his unit participated in the defense of Kyiv against the initial Russian offensive, helping to repel forces attempting to capture the capital. His operational experience spans more than a decade of continuous service in Ukraine's most challenging security environments.
Evhenii Khmara Career Timeline And Military Promotions
In April 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Evhenii Khmara as head of the SBU unit responsible for special operations, counterterrorism activities, and the protection of participants in criminal proceedings and law enforcement officials. This appointment placed him at the helm of one of Ukraine's most critical security divisions during an intensifying phase of the war. The following year, on June 23, 2024, Zelenskyy awarded him the military rank of major general, recognizing his leadership and operational achievements.
Following legislative reforms that restructured the SBU's special operations forces, Khmara was reappointed on August 25, 2025 as head of the reorganized and renamed Center for Special Operations A. This unit, still informally known as Alpha, conducts counterterrorism and other special missions as part of Ukraine's national security framework. His continued leadership through this transition demonstrated institutional confidence in his strategic capabilities and operational judgment.
Key Operations And Strategic Contributions
Among the most notable operations associated with Evhenii Khmara's leadership was the 2022 mission to liberate Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake Island, in the Black Sea. This operation carried significant military, economic, and psychological importance for Ukraine, restoring control over a strategically positioned territory near the Romanian border. Khmara himself described the liberation as one of the landmark victories over the enemy during the conflict.
Under his command, Alpha Group has conducted numerous high-profile operations behind enemy lines, including sabotage missions against Russian military infrastructure and targeted actions against occupation forces. In 2023 and 2024, his unit developed and executed Operation Web, a series of strikes against Russian airfields deep within occupied territory. These asymmetric warfare tactics have become central to Ukraine's strategy of leveraging special forces to offset conventional military disadvantages.
Appointment As Acting Head Of Ukraine's Security Service
On January 5, 2026, President Zelenskyy appointed Evhenii Khmara as the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, entrusting him with leadership of the agency during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. He succeeded Vasyl Malyuk, who announced his resignation earlier the same day. This appointment marked a significant elevation from his previous role leading Alpha, placing him at the top of Ukraine's primary intelligence and counterintelligence organization.
Those who have served alongside Evhenii Khmara describe him as a strategist, professional, people-centric leader, and respected military officer. His official biography emphasizes his extensive field experience and his involvement in some of the war's most consequential operations. As acting SBU chief, he now oversees a broad portfolio encompassing counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and the protection of state security during one of the most challenging periods in modern Ukrainian history.