Zelensky dismisses ex-deputy defense minister from top military command body
Havryliuk voluntarily stepped down from his role as first deputy defense minister on April 11, amid scandal over the ministry's handling of defense procurement.
Zelensky issued a decree on May 12 officially removing Havryliuk from the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the top command and control body for all branches of Ukraine's defense and security apparatus.
The Presidential Office did not provide details on the reasons for the dismissal.
A source in the Defense Ministry reportedly told the news outlet Suspilne that the firing was related to Havryliuk's decision to transfer 78 billion hryvnia (approximately $1.8 billion) from the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) to a Polish intermediary company to purchase ammunition for Ukraine's State Border Guard Service.
Havryliuk was appointed first deputy defense minister in charge of procurement in May 2024. The defense procurement sector was reformed in December 2023, aiming to comply with NATO standards.
One of NATO and European partners' requirements for Ukraine was the establishment of two agencies that would be directly responsible for procurement for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, not through the Defense Ministry or contractors.
Shortly before his resignation, Havryliuk on April 7 announced that the ministry planned to merge the DPA and the State Rear Operator (DOT), a sister agency overseeing the procurement of non-lethal supplies for the Armed Forces.
The announcement came as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov faced scrutiny and accusations of corruption for his efforts to undermine the DPA. In January Umerov fired Maryna Bezrukova, the head of the DPA, in a move that sparked outrage among anti-corruption activists.
Havryliuk announced his resignation on April 11 and was replaced by Serhii Boyev shortly thereafter.
Read also: 'Not what Putin was expecting' — What we know (and don't know) about Ukraine, Russia peace talks in Istanbul
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