Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council has appointed Anait Khoperiia as acting head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, a key institution in the country’s efforts to resist information warfare, Russian propaganda, and foreign influence operations. The council announced the decision on October 1, 2026, through its official Facebook page, saying that Khoperiia would take over the leadership of the body at a moment when Ukrainian state institutions are grappling with a rapidly evolving disinformation landscape. She replaces Andriy Kovalenko, who was dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by decree dated September 28, 2026. The reasons for Kovalenko’s dismissal were not provided in the announcement, and no further details about a permanent appointment process were disclosed. The use of the title “acting head” suggests that Khoperiia is expected to provide stability and continuity while the state decides on a longer-term arrangement. Her appointment comes after years of work inside the center, including as deputy head and as head of the Department for Countering Information Threats to National Security, as well as earlier professional roles across major Ukrainian institutions. This background makes her one of the most experienced officials to lead the center, which operates under the National Security and Defense Council and is tasked with analyzing, countering, and proactively responding to disinformation that threatens Ukraine’s sovereignty and national interests.
Khoperiia brings a strong academic and legal foundation to her new role. She holds a law degree from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, where she graduated with honors from the Faculty of Law in 2015. In 2023, she defended her dissertation at the Academician F. H. Burchak Scientific Research Institute of Private Law and Entrepreneurship of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, earning the degree of Candidate of Legal Sciences, a doctorate-level qualification in Ukraine’s academic system. This combination of legal training and scholarly research is particularly relevant at a time when countering disinformation increasingly involves legal questions: definitions of harmful content, regulation of digital platforms, protection of civil liberties, media accountability, and the development of policy tools that must be both effective and compatible with Ukraine’s European integration commitments. Her academic credentials also signal an ability to engage with experts, researchers, and civil society organizations that produce much of the analytical groundwork on Russian influence operations. In addition to her work inside the center, Khoperiia has accumulated practical experience in law enforcement and government service. She held positions at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice, the State Tax Service, and JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, the national railway company. Each of these roles exposed her to different aspects of legal governance, institutional integrity, anti-corruption work, and the functioning of large state enterprises. That breadth of experience is expected to help her coordinate the center’s activities with other government bodies, law enforcement agencies, and strategic industries that are frequent targets of disinformation campaigns.
Khoperiia joined the Center for Countering Disinformation in June 2021, only months after the institution was established, and has been part of its internal operations during one of the most intense periods in Ukraine’s modern history. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the center has faced an enormous task: monitoring and debunking false narratives about the war, exposing coordinated influence operations, analyzing disinformation aimed at Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, and supporting efforts to maintain public trust in government institutions. As deputy head and leader of the Department for Countering Information Threats to National Security, Khoperiia was directly involved in the center’s analytical and operational work. Her department would have been responsible for identifying emerging threats, tracking foreign propaganda channels, assessing the effectiveness of Russian information operations, and coordinating with other agencies, including the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and various fact-checking organizations. This extensive inside knowledge is crucial for an institution that must react quickly to fast-moving disinformation campaigns. By choosing an insider rather than an outsider, the National Security and Defense Council appears to be prioritizing institutional memory, professional continuity, and a deep understanding of the center’s specific role in the broader national security system. It also suggests that the government recognizes the importance of avoiding leadership disruption during a period when information threats continue to evolve.
Before joining the center, Khoperiia’s professional journey crossed several major Ukrainian institutions, giving her a distinctive and practical understanding of how the state functions beyond the information-security sphere. At the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, she worked in an environment where legal rigor, investigative procedures, and sensitivity to public trust are essential. At the Ministry of Justice, she gained familiarity with legal policy, legislative drafting, and the judicial system. At the State Tax Service, she saw firsthand the challenges of maintaining lawful, transparent operations within a financially and administratively complex state body. At JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, she encountered the communication and security vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure, particularly during wartime, when the railway has played an essential role in evacuation, military logistics, and civilian mobility. Disinformation campaigns often target critical infrastructure, spreading false information about railway security, electricity supply, mobilization, and government emergency response. Khoperiia’s familiarity with these sectors may give her a practical advantage in anticipating the kinds of false narratives that aim to undermine public confidence in the state’s ability to deliver basic services during the war. Moreover, her law-enforcement and anti-corruption experience matters because disinformation is often linked to broader attempts to weaken state institutions, delegitimize officials, and exploit public grievances. An official with her background is likely to understand that countering disinformation cannot be separated from strengthening the rule of law and building resilient institutions.
The appointment of Khoperiia occurs at a delicate moment in Ukraine’s broader information-security strategy. The Center for Countering Disinformation was created as a specialized response to the information warfare that Russia has waged against Ukraine for years. Since its foundation, the center has occupied a distinct space in the country’s security architecture, acting as an analytical and coordination hub rather than simply a censorship body. It has worked to inform the public about false narratives, build media literacy, support the work of independent fact-checkers, and provide policy recommendations to the government. Under Ukrainian law, the center does not have direct enforcement powers; instead, it relies on coordination with the Security Service, law enforcement, regulators, and other agencies. That makes the leadership capacity to navigate complex bureaucratic structures especially important. Khoperiia’s legal background and long service within the center should help her maintain these coordination mechanisms. The dismissal of Andriy Kovalenko and the rapid appointment of a successor also underscores the ongoing reorganization of institutions responsible for national resilience during wartime. Ukraine’s leadership has repeatedly emphasized that information security is not peripheral but central to the war effort. The decision to bring in an acting head with direct operational experience inside the center rather than an external political figure reinforces that message. It also indicates that the National Security and Defense Council is aware of the dangers of leaving the center without experienced leadership for an extended period, especially as Russian actors continue to adapt their methods, including the use of artificial intelligence, synthetic media, deepfakes, and manipulative information campaigns aimed at international audiences as well as domestic ones.
Looking ahead, Khoperiia’s immediate priorities will likely include maintaining the center’s regular monitoring and response functions, preserving trust among partner organizations, and ensuring that work remains uninterrupted while the leadership transition takes shape. No official statements have been made about whether she will eventually be confirmed as permanent head, but her appointment as acting head positions her as the leading internal candidate. Her educational background, law degree, doctorate, and years of work inside the center and across multiple state institutions give her an unusually strong profile for this role. The center has become one of Ukraine’s most visible institutions in the ongoing struggle against disinformation, and its leadership carries both national and international significance. Western governments, media organizations, and civil-society groups have frequently cited Ukrainian efforts to expose Russian information operations as a model for democratic resilience. Continued effective leadership matters for maintaining this international credibility. For Ukraine, the appointment is above all a practical move: it places an experienced official at the head of a body that is called upon daily to analyze, counter, and explain the information threats that accompany the war. As the conflict continues and the information landscape grows more complicated, Khoperiia will be expected to ensure that the Center for Countering Disinformation remains agile, rigorous, and capable of defending the truth in a contested space where narratives can have life-and-death consequences.
