Defense Ministry's procurement chief to step down on Sept. 1, media reports
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Arsen Zhumadilov, the director of the Defense Ministry's Defense Procurement Agency (DPA), is set to resign in the coming weeks, the Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on Aug. 18, citing its undisclosed sources.
The official has already written a resignation letter and is formally stepping down on Sept. 1, the outlet reported. The step takes place amid a broader leadership reshuffle at the ministry.
ZN.UA has not reported reasons for Zhumadilov's resignation, which has not been officially confirmed by the ministry. According to the outlet, Artem Romaniukov, head of the Defense Ministry's Procurement Policy Directorate, may replace Zhumadilov in acting capacity.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the reporting.
Zhumadilov was appointed to lead the procurement body in March 2025 after former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov dismissed its previous director, Maryna Bezrukova, amid tensions between the ministry's leadership and the agency.
Before his tenure at the DPA, Zhumadilov was the chief of the State Rear Operator (DOT), a sister agency responsible for non-lethal acquisitions.
The two agencies were merged in January into a single body under Zhumadilov's leadership. The merger was met with reservations by anti-corruption watchdogs and ran counter to earlier NATO recommendations.
In May 2026, Zhumadilov was questioned as a witness by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) in one of the country's largest corruption scandals, centered on businessman and President Volodymyr Zelensky's former business associate, Timur Mindich.
Audio tapes obtained by NABU included discussions between Mindich and then-Minister Umerov about defense contracts and procurement. Zhumadilov confirmed that he met with the two in March 2025 to discuss contracts for bulletproof vests, but denied any wrongdoing or ulterior motives.
Zhumadilov has also faced criticism from the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAc), an independent watchdog, for firing his deputy and former NABU director, Artem Sytnyk. The NGO described the move as an effort by Umerov and Zhumadilov to "ensure convenient and loyal control over the agency."
The news of Zhumadilov's resignation comes just as Zelensky formally nominated acting Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara to lead the ministry, replacing former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had pushed for greater transparency in defense procurement.
