Ukraine’s Defence Minister announces dismissal and appointments in Defence Ministry

Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov wants to dismiss his deputies Ivan Rusnak and Oleh Haiduk and appoint Oleksandr Pavliuk as First Deputy Minister, volunteer Vitalii Deineha as Deputy Minister for Digital Development, and former ambassador Andrii Shevchenko as Deputy Minister for European Integration. Source: Reznikov on Facebook Earlier, Reznikov announced personnel changes in the Defence Ministry.

In particular, the appointment of new deputy ministers. Quote: "As for those who held the positions of deputies. First Deputy Minister of Defence Colonel General Ivan Rusnak and Deputy Minister of Defence for Digital Development Oleh Haiduk.

They remain in the ministry's team and will be involved in the work as advisors to the minister."

Details: Reznikov said that he has already submitted the candidates for the positions to the president for approval, and the government's approval is to follow. According to the minister, these are not the last steps to reboot the Defence Ministry.

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He added that the next changes to strengthen the team will be presented in a few days.

The minister is currently in Germany for a regular meeting of Ukraine's allies in the Ramstein format.  According to Reznikov, he invited new people to strengthen the work of the Defence Ministry. Quote from Reznikov regarding Pavliuk: "The candidature of Ukraine's hero, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk, has been submitted for the post of First Deputy Minister.

General Pavliuk is well aware of the issues of modern warfare and the needs of our army, and he has the necessary leadership and management skills. There will be even more synergy in cooperation with the General Staff." Quote from Reznikov regarding Deineha: "The digital development sector is one of the areas where Ukraine is capable of a breakthrough and can create new standards for the world.

I have invited a well-known volunteer with a background in IT and most recently a documentary journalist, Vitalii Deineha, to the post of Deputy Minister for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalisation." Quote regarding Shevchenko: "Communication with international partners, lawmakers and Ukrainian society, as well as the introduction of new standards in the defence sector, are among my priorities. I have invited a well-known media personality, Andrii Shevchenko, who has both successful experience in the parliament and as Ukraine's ambassador to Canada, to the post of deputy minister for European integration."

Reference: Deineha is a volunteer, public figure, and founder of the Come Back Alive charity foundation. Shevchenko is a member of Parliament from the V, VI and VII convocations, and a former Ambassador to Canada. The  Cabinet of Ministers appoints and dismisses the First Deputy Minister and Deputy Ministers based on the Prime Minister's proposal and the proposals of the respective Ministers. 

Background: 

  • Viacheslav Shapovalov, Deputy Minister of Defence, resigned due to the scandal over food procurement for the Ukrainian military at inflated prices.
  • Shapovalov was served with a notice of suspicion; the court arrested him for 2 months and set an alternative bail in the amount of UAH 402,600,000 [roughly US£9,940,000].
  • Shapovalov resigned and was dismissed on 24 January amid a scandal over the procurement of overpriced food for the military. Bohdan Khmelnytskyi was also dismissed from his position as director of the Defence Ministry's procurement department, which became known on 25 January.
  • Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has directed that the public procurement system for the Armed Forces of Ukraine be updated, which will include the publication of food and goods prices.
  • On 21 January, ZN.ua reported that the Ministry of Defence buys food for military personnel at a price two to three times higher than in Kyiv stores.

    Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, who was involved in the case of US£580,000 embezzlement during the purchase of military ammunition, signed the December agreement with Active Company on behalf of the Ministry.

  • The information about "chicken eggs for 17 hryvnias" [US£0.5] was particularly publicised: the journalists' investigation referred to the price per piece, although the document stated the price for 100 grams.
  • The Ministry of Defence called the information about expensive food misleading and manipulative and promised to contact the Security Service of Ukraine, while Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov denied the accusations against the Ministry of Defence.

    Later, in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Reznikov admitted that he was too emotional and promised to thoroughly check all the facts revealed by the journalists.

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