Ukraine's defense minister requests dismissal of 3 deputies, state secretary
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov signed a submission to Ukraine's government on the dismissal of three of his deputies and the state secretary, he announced on Oct. 1.
Umerov called the system of the Defense Ministry, including the Armed Forces, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), and State Transport Special Service "a closed perimeter" during martial law.
"This means that all processes inside must be clear and controlled. Any attempt to influence them, whether external or internal, is unacceptable. In this context, personnel changes are taking place," Umerov said in a post on Facebook, without elaborating on the reason for the reshuffle.
Umerov's deputies Oleksandr Serhii, Yurii Dzhygyr as well as Defense Ministry's State Secretary Liudmyla Darahan were requested to be dismissed. Another Deputy Defense Minister Stanislav Haider is going to be transferred to the position of the head of the Minister's Office.
It is now up to Ukraine's Cabinet to approve the dismissals. It was not announced who would replace them, if approved.
Umerov is also planning to reform Ukraine's defense acquisition system, he said.
Supervisory boards are to be set up for the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) and the State Rear Operator (DOT) "in the near future," the minister said.
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 like food and clothing.
In addition, "Spetstechnoexport" (STE), Ukrainian state foreign trade enterprise, is being transferred from HUR to the Defense Ministry.
The STE specializes in the export and import of military equipment and services, development of innovations, and establishment of defense-technical cooperation with Western countries and foreign companies.
Kateryna Hodunova
