Ukraine’s DM dismisses deputy, replaces Head of Defense Procurement Agency

Umerov announced these decisions on Facebook, as reported by Ukrinform.

“There has been much talk about procuring weapons for the army, but the outcomes have been unsatisfactory. We are changing the system to ensure results are delivered on the front lines, not just in the news,” Umerov said in the post.

He also reported that he had made the decision to dismiss those who failed in this task, thus, he had submitted a proposal to the Cabinet of Ministers to dismiss his deputy, Dmytro Klimenkov, and announced that the Ministry of Defense would not renew the contract with Maryna Bezrukova.

“The Ministry of Defense is also recalling two state representatives from the Supervisory Board. This will set a precedent in the history of state corporate governance, where two independent members of the Supervisory Board supported the state’s position, while the state-authorized representative of state interests ignored the management body’s recommendations,” the minister added.

Umerov informed that Arsen Zhumadilov, the Director General of the Ministry of Defense’s procurement agency, State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition (DOT), will be appointed as the director of the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA).

“This year, both the DPA and the DOT operated under the same conditions. One agency delivered results, while the other merely generated media noise,” the minister noted.

He also emphasized that the sole criterion the Ministry of Defense places before the Defense Procurement Agency is to ensure that the frontlines are fully and promptly equipped with all necessary weapons.

“Regrettably, over the past six months, instead of the timely supply of ammunition to our army, we have witnessed political games, leaks of contracts, and leaks of information (which law enforcement agencies will investigate in due time), publicity campaigns for inaction, and failure to meet KPIs by the Ministry’s subordinate enterprise,” Umerov stated.

According to him, arms procurement, which should be strictly confidential during martial law and a full-scale war with Russia, has transformed into an ‘Amazon’, where anyone on the internet can observe in real-time who buys what, in what quantities, and from which manufacturers.

“Yet, despite the publicized scale of procurement, our defenders on the frontlines have not experienced its tangible impact,” the minister added.

As previously reported, on January 22, the Supervisory Board of the DPA had decided to extend Bezrukova’s contract, a decision now overruled by Umerov.

In October 2024, Umerov announced the establishment of Supervisory Boards for both the DPA and the State Logistics Operator to enhance oversight and accountability.