Ukraine’s Defence Procurement Agency continues to work under leadership of current head
Pravda Ukraine
Ukraine’s Defence Procurement Agency stated that it continues to work under Maryna Bezrukova’s leadership “as the right to extend or terminate the current contract of the director is vested exclusively in the Supervisory Board.”
Source: Defence Procurement Agency
Details: Despite Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umierov’s claims regarding dismissing two representatives, the Agency assures that its Supervisory Board is “legally valid”.
Quote: “In these conditions, the early announcement of the alleged new head of the Agency is a direct manifestation of pressure on the Supervisory Board and an attempt to substitute independent corporate governance with a ‘hands-on approach’.
This is an unprecedented breach of all past agreements between the Ministry of Defence, civic society, and international partners, including those who fund the manufacturing of Ukrainian weapons on the Danish model.”
Details: The agency stressed that it is ready to be responsible “to society, and most importantly to the military” for the results of its work.
Background:
- Bezrukova became the head of the Defence Procurement Agency in January 2024. Her contract expires at the end of the week.
- In a column for Ukrainska Pravda summing up the DPA’s work in 2024, Bezrukova said the supervisory board – comprising independent members Kateryna Kuznetsova, Lukasz Stoliarski and Patrick Auroy, and state representatives Taras Chmut and Yurii Dzhyhyr – had started working in December.
- Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Centre, said that in September 2024, Umierov had planned to dismiss Bezrukova and appoint Holos (Voice) party member Oleksandra Ustinova to the position.
- Umierov said that Arsen Zhumadilov, the head of the Ukrainian State Logistics Operator, would be appointed as the director of the DPA.
- Zhumadilov said that he agreed to take over the second company “in this difficult time”.
- Bezrukova announced that she will continue to fulfill her duties.
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