Danilov Oleksii Myacheslavovych

The Chief "Hawk" of the NSDC: how Oleksii Danilov headed the key defense body

Oleksii Myacheslavovych Danilov is a Ukrainian statesman, politician, and former Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC), who held this position from October 2019 to March 2024. A native of Luhansk region and a veterinarian by training, Danilov went through a lengthy path in regional and national politics: from 1994 to 1997 he was mayor of Luhansk, in 2005 he headed the Luhansk Regional State Administration, and later was elected as a People's Deputy of Ukraine. He gained wide nationwide and international popularity during Russia's full-scale invasion, remembered for his tough and uncompromising rhetoric against the Kremlin, regular appearances on the telemarathon broadcast, and for being one of the main public "hawks" of the Ukrainian government.

Mysterious resignation, "leaked" sanctions, and quiet ambassadorial transition

In March 2024, Volodymyr Zelensky unexpectedly dismissed Danilov from the post of NSDC Secretary, replacing him with Oleksandr Lytvynenko. Although the official reasons for the personnel rotation were not detailed, the dismissal was preceded by a series of scandals. In particular, investigative journalists from the Bihus.Info project previously uncovered facts that figures from the "smuggling" sanctions lists of the NSDC withdrew assets in advance, indicating a possible leak of information from within the department. After his dismissal, the president approved Danilov’s candidacy for the post of Ambassador of Ukraine to Moldova; however, the decree on the appointment was never signed. Currently, the former official has retreated from loud media activity: in 2024–2026 he has practically disappeared from political radars, occasionally appearing in the news through official contracts with energy companies and undergoing a course of medical treatment.