Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced radical changes in the structure of the Ministry of Defense and the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA). The reason for this was numerous failures in providing the front with the necessary weapons.
On January 24, Umerov announced the dismissal of Deputy Minister Dmytro Klimenkov, as well as the termination of the contract with the head of the Supervisory Board of AOZ, Marina Bezrukova. In addition, the minister announced the recall of two state representatives from the Supervisory Board of AOZ.
“This will become a precedent in the history of state corporate governance, when independent representatives supported the state's position, and the authorized representative of the state ignored it,” Umerov said.
The minister harshly criticized the work of the AOZ, pointing to delays in the supply of ammunition, leaks of confidential information, political games, and failure to meet key performance indicators.
"Weapons purchases during the war turned into a kind of "Amazon", where everyone can see what the state is buying and from whom. However, our defenders did not experience any real results," Umerov emphasized.
Arsen Zhumadilov, a Crimean Tatar public and political figure, will be appointed head of the Defense Procurement Agency.
Zhumadilov's dossier:
- Born in 1985, has three higher educations.
- Before the occupation of Crimea, he worked in the corporate sector in Ukraine and abroad.
- He founded the NGO “Crimean Institute for Strategic Studies”.
- After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, he was mobilized into the ranks of the Medical Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Zhumadilov, according to the minister, has already proven his effectiveness as the general director of the State Enterprise "State Operator of the Rear".
“We are changing the system so that the result is on the front lines, not in the news,” Umerov emphasized.
Rustem Umerov promised that the Supervisory Board of the AOZ will be completely restarted in the near future. The main task of the updated agency will be the timely and complete provision of the front with all necessary weapons.
