Zelensky comments on Defense Procurement Agency dispute, says Umerov is entitled to make any decisions to prevent military supply delays
President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the conflict between the Defense Ministry and the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) on Feb. 2 in an interview with the Associated Press (AP), commenting that the Defense Minister has the right to do everything to ensure that there is no slowdown in supplies.
"We have a Defense Minister who clearly understands that, God forbid, there will be any interruptions somewhere from anyone in supporting our military: from drones to air defense, there will be not only military losses, there will be civilian losses, children will suffer, there will be more strikes, Russia will be stronger,” Zelensky told AP.
He also warned that if there were institutional problems affecting contracts or deliveries, immediate action was necessary to prevent interruptions.
Zelensky emphasized that there should be no pauses in supply of artillery packages.
“Therefore, the Defense Minister has the right to do everything to ensure that there is no slowdown in supplies. Today, all of our money is in the Defense Ministry, in our army. And if there is money there, and some delivery has not come, then, frankly, he must do everything to prevent such problems from happening again... And he is doing it,” Zelensky concluded.
The dispute arose after the Defense Procurement Agency’s head, Maryna Bezrukova, was suspended by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, despite her contract being extended. Arsen Zhumadilov was appointed as acting head.
The Defense Ministry cited several reasons for her removal, including alleged failure to fulfill planned deliveries for the front, poor procurement planning and delays, lack of timely communication with the General Staff, and leaks of classified information, which are reportedly expected to be investigated.
Umerov's decision to fire Bezrukova sparked backlash, as Ukrainian law grants supervisory boards the sole authority to appoint or dismiss state enterprise heads.
The Anti-Corruption Action Center (ANTAC) accused the Defense Ministry of a "hostile takeover," alleging it manipulated the state enterprise register to "legitimize" Zhumadilov's appointment.
