Supervisory board extends arms procurement head's contract, initiates audit following proposed merger
The supervisory board of Ukraine’s Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) extended a 1-year contract to Maryna Bezrukova, the current director of the DPA, the agency announced on Jan. 21.
The contract extensions comes after Defense Minister Rustem Umerov walked back on plans to merge the Defense Procurement Agency and the State Logistics Operator (DOT) into one agency, following a NATO statement said that the two agencies should be kept separate and two separate supervisory boards established "to perform their tasks and supporting their independence and anti-corruption policies."
In addition to the contract extension, the board said in a statement that it had initiated a "comprehensive audit of the Agency's activities," which will involved NATO's International Board of Auditors (IBAN).
Bezrukova, whose contract was extended by a unanimous vote, is a former employee of Ukraine’s energy company Ukrenergo, before being appointed to head the DPA.
Separate boards were set up for Ukraine’s lethal and non-lethal procurement agencies, complying with NATO standards, in the fall of 2024.
The defense procurement sector was reshaped in December 2023, aiming to meet NATO standards. The DPA, first established in August 2022, was to focus solely on lethal aid. Meanwhile, the DOT was formed to purchase non-lethal aid such as food and clothing.
Boldizsar Gyori
