(MENAFN- UkrinForm) The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced that on Friday, January 31, it dismissed Marina Bezrukova from her position as director of the state enterprise Defense Procurement Agency and appointed Arsen Zhumadilov as the acting director.
According to Ukrinform, this was stated in an official comment from the Ministry of Defense regarding the leadership change at the Defense Procurement Agency.
The ministry emphasized that this decision was driven by the need to ensure stable and uninterrupted supply of weapons and ammunition to the front lines.
Among the key reasons for the change in agency leadership, the Ministry of Defense cited failure to fulfill planned supplies for the front, numerous concerns from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine regarding poor planning of defense procurement and untimely communication from the agency, unjustified delays in delivery schedules, unacceptable leaks of confidential information, which will be investigated by law enforcement agencies.
Given the public interest in the matter, the Ministry of Defense provided a legal explanation for the leadership change.
On October 11, 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the candidates for the Supervisory Board of the agency, which included two state representatives and three independent members. In line with international corporate governance standards, the Supervisory Board was meant to play a key role in overseeing the agency's activities, ensuring transparency, and managing state defense procurement effectively.
The first three members of the Supervisory Board (sufficient for it to be legally valid) were appointed by an order of the Minister of Defense on October 25, 2024. However, to begin full operations, the members needed to sign contracts with the agency.
After the Supervisory Board was officially formed by the Ministry of Defense, the agency failed to properly formalize legal relationships with all board members, delaying its work. This was evident in the fact that the first meeting of the Supervisory Board took place on December 17, 2024, almost two months after the ministerial order was issued.
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On January 20, 2025, one of the independent members of the Supervisory Board resigned, citing the agency's failure to communicate properly regarding contract details. This reduced the number of board members to four, disrupting its balance and efficiency. Additionally, the ministry noted that this composition no longer met legal requirements, which stipulated that the majority of members must be independent.
On January 20, 2025, the Ministry of Defense received a letter from the chairman of the Supervisory Board announcing a meeting on the same day to extend the director's contract. That evening, the agency announced on Facebook that this decision had been made, even though the ministry had not yet given its approval.
On January 21, the Ministry of Defense received another letter from the chairman, giving the ministry only a few hours to respond. That same day, the ministry officially recommended not extending the director's contract and provided a justified explanation. However, the chairman of the Supervisory Board did not inform all board members of this position. That evening, the agency once again announced on Facebook that the contract had been "unanimously" extended.
The Ministry of Defense emphasized that the chairman of the Supervisory Board failed to ensure proper communication with board members and the ministry. Some members reported that they were unaware of the ministry's position, even though it had been officially sent. Once the ministry directly informed all board members, the independent members changed their stance and voted against signing the additional agreement to extend the director's contract.
The ministry stated that the actions of the Supervisory Board violated transparency and consistency principles and included several procedural violations, such as: announcing board decisions on social media without officially notifying the ministry, signing an additional agreement to extend the contract without the ministry's approval, which had not yet received the document's text, failing to officially submit any board meeting protocols to the ministry.
The Ministry of Defense highlighted that when Bezrukova was hired in January 2024, her contract was signed directly with the Ministry of Defense, acting as the authorized management body of the agency. Under the law, contract changes require the consent of both parties. Therefore, extending Bezrukova's contract required the ministry's approval.
Despite this, on January 23, 2025, the chairman of the Supervisory Board, Yurii Dzhygyr, signed an additional agreement without the required approval from the Ministry of Defense. According to the ministry, this action exceeded his legal authority as defined by law and the agency's charter.
Considering the unsatisfactory performance of the agency under Bezrukova's leadership, as well as the lack of cooperation and proper communication from the chairman of the Supervisory Board (a state representative), the ministry decided to replace the state representatives on the board. This information was immediately communicated to the affected individuals and the agency.
As a result, only two out of five board members remained, rendering the board legally invalid.
The ministry noted that under the law, when the Supervisory Board is not legally functional, its authority temporarily transfers to the Ministry of Defense. This grants the ministry the right to make management decisions regarding the agency, including appointing, dismissing, and suspending the director, as well as appointing an acting director.
The Ministry of Defense emphasized that, during wartime, effective defense procurement is a top priority for the state. Currently, the ministry and the leadership of the Defense Procurement Agency are focused on contracting and ensuring the uninterrupted supply of weapons and ammunition to the front. The ministry assured that procurement operations are continuing as usual.
A permanent head of the Defense Procurement Agency will be appointed soon, following current legislation and corporate standards.
"Both procurement agencies of the Ministry of Defense continue to operate. The leadership will be selected and approved in accordance with all proper procedures shortly," the ministry stated.
The ministry also emphasized that "Ukraine is a rule-of-law state where every citizen has the right to challenge decisions in court. However, all actions must take place strictly within the framework of the law."
Additionally, the Ministry of Defense has requested law enforcement agencies to investigate and legally assess the actions of the former agency leadership.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov stated that the ministry would not extend Bezrukova's contract.
According to Umerov, Arsen Zhumadilov, the general director of the Ministry of Defense's procurement agency State Logistics Operator, will be appointed as the new head of the Defense Procurement Agency.
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On January 22, the Supervisory Board of the Defense Procurement Agency decided to extend Bezrukova's contract.
As of January 29, according to the YouControl registry, Bezrukova was still listed as the director of the Defense Procurement Agency. However, the agency itself maintained that Bezrukova's authority had not been terminated.
On January 30, the Ministry of Defense submitted a complaint to the Ministry of Justice regarding changes in the agency's leadership records. The Ministry of Justice stated that it would review the complaint to determine the legality of the leadership change.
On January 31, following the review, the Ministry of Justice annulled the decision of private notary N.V. Ivashchenko, who had registered changes to the agency's leadership information.
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