Ukraine’s Defense Minister faces backlash over procurement leader firing

Jan 28, 2025 - 10:01

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Defense Minister Rustem Umierov fired Defense Procurement Agency Director Maryna Bezrukova on 24 January over “unsatisfactory” weapons deliveries to the front. The decision sparked immediate backlash from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s party lawmakers and ministry oversight officials, as Bezrukova’s contract had been extended by the agency’s supervisory board on 23 January, Bloomberg reports.

Prior to Bezrukova’s tenure, anti-corruption activists had criticized the agency for conducting purchases at inflated prices through intermediaries. The establishment of the supervisory board was part of Ukraine’s efforts to improve procurement transparency and efficiency. Ukraine created the procurement committee’s supervisory board in October 2024 to meet corporate governance requirements and public demands for greater transparency in classified weapons supplies.

According to Anastasiia Radina, who heads the Ukrainian parliament’s anti-corruption committee, Umierov had no legal authority to overrule the board’s decision. Radina warned in an interview that uncertainty over the dismissal could jeopardize future weapons contracts and discourage foreign arms producers from making new deals with Ukraine.

Turmoil at Ukraine’s defense ministry as procurement chief resists ouster

The Anti-Corruption Civil Council at the Defense Ministry chairman Yurii Hudymenko stated in a Facebook post on 28 January that the conflict over Bezrukova’s removal “may potentially disrupt deliveries and have tragic consequences.” The council has requested a meeting with ministry officials to discuss the situation.

The timing of the leadership change is particularly sensitive as Ukraine’s military faces equipment and manpower shortages while Russian forces make steady territorial gains, Bloomberg notes. The situation is further complicated by uncertainty over future US military aid under Donald Trump presidency.

Procurement reforms and achievements

The defense procurement agency, established in 2022 following NATO standards, saw significant improvements under Bezrukova’s leadership since January 2024. According to Bezrukova, the agency reduced contracts through intermediaries from 82% to 12%, resulting in cost savings.

The agency plans record defense and security spending of 2 trillion hryvnia ($48 billion) in 2025, exceeding a quarter of Ukraine’s economic output. In 2024, it managed a 300 billion hryvnia budget, primarily spent on domestically produced weapons, Bezrukova said.

The agency stated that Umerov’s appointment of his ally Arsen Zhumadilov to replace Bezrukova, while Zhumadilov retained his existing role as head of non-weapons procurement, represented “an attempt to replace corporate with manual governance.” On 27 January, it called Umerov’s removal of two board members who supported Bezrukova’s contract extension “an unprecedented violation of agreements with civil society and international partners.”

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