President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree officially appointing Kyrylo Budanov as head of the Presidential Office (OP) during the 59-minute period ending at 6:45 PM UTC on January 2, 2026, according to Андрій Смолій. Андрій Смолій shared the information on X, stating "Officially - Budanov has been appointed head of the OP. Zelensky signed the decree," with the post linked to https://x.com/NanaSajaia/status/2007150886074863715. No additional details on the timing or reasons for the appointment were provided in the report over the past hour. In the same source, Смолій noted that early next year, a local channel NEWSMAX UKRAINE will be available in the Ukrainian language.
