Maryna Bezrukova has overturned the decision to remove her name from the state enterprise register as director of the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA), the agency said on Jan. 30.
The DPA once again emphasized that legally, Bezrukova remains the head of the agency as her contract was extended by the supervisory board, despite the Defense Ministry's attempt to override the decision.
The question of Bezrukova's contract extension has grown into one of the biggest wartime scandals in Ukraine, with activists saying that the Defense Ministry's actions are underminig Ukraine's crucial defense procurement reform.
On Jan. 24, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced that he decided to suspend Bezrukova and appoint Arsen Zhumadilov, head of the State Rear Operator (DOT), as her replacement, overriding the DPA's supervisory board. DOT is another state agency tasked with providing non-lethal defense procurement.
On Jan. 25, Bezrukova's name was removed from a state register and replaced by Zhumadilov.
"Bezrukova has been the acting director of the Defense Procurement Agency since February 1, 2024. These powers have not been terminated," the agency wrote on Jan. 30, confirming that Bezrukova's name has returned to the register.
The ministry only temporarily suspended Bezrukova while she undergoes an audit, following Umerov’s allegations that the agency’s results were poor. Therefore, the amendments to the register replacing her with Zhumadilov are unlawful, said Vitaliy Shabunin, co-founder of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (ANTAC).
After the initial amendment was publicized by ANTAC on Jan. 27, Zhumadilov’s position in the state registry was changed to "temporary director." It was changed a third time on Jan. 29, to again list Bezrukova as the director after she submitted the necessary documents to the notary.
Although officially it is not known who ordered the change, ANTAC believes it to be the Defense Ministry alongside the controversial Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak to “legitimize” Zhumadilov as the new director and subsequently cement the ministry’s control of the agency.
“It's like a classic hostile takeover,” Tetiana Shevchuk, a lawyer at ANTAC, told the Kyiv Independent.
“They just want to take over, take the governance and the management (of the agency) into their hands, and quickly do something.”
Kateryna Hodunova
Shabunin noted that the private notary agent, Andriy Lihun, who signed the changes on Jan. 25 is a volunteer of the NGO "Union of TV and Film Industry Entrepreneurs," founded by Yermak, a former film producer. The latter may be the force behind the change, Shabunin said on Facebook.
Due to the DPA’s vast budget, over $7 billion annually, Yermak likely wants to influence the agency, Shevchuk told the Kyiv Independent.
The Kyiv Independent reached out to Yermak and the Defense Ministry but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Umerov’s decision to override the DPA supervisory board's vote sparked accusations of unlawful behavior and calls for his removal. According to Ukrainian law, supervisory boards have the authority to unilaterally hire and fire the heads of state enterprises.
Bezrukova previously told the Kyiv Independent that she intends to stay in her position.
On Jan. 27, ambassadors of the Group of Seven (G7) countries called for a swift resolution and urged uninterrupted continuation of weapons procurement. They also stressed the importance of adhering to governance standards.
On Jan. 28, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) launched a criminal investigation into the potential abuse of power and office by Umerov.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
