The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine appointed three new deputy ministers of defense

The government of Ukraine has appointed three deputy ministers of defense, the representative of the Cabinet of Ministers in the Verkhovna Rada Taras Melnichuk said in his Telegram channel.

Yuri Dzhigir and Natalya Kolmykova were appointed deputy heads of the Defense Ministry. Ekaterina Chernogorenko also became Deputy Minister for Digital Development.

The Ukrainian publication NV previously reported that Kolmykova, director of the Veterans Fund, will take the place of the previously fired Anna Malyar. At the same time, Deputy Minister of Finance Dzhigir will oversee the financial issues of the military department. The publication’s source explained the appointment of Chernogorenko, who previously worked at the Ministry of Digital Development, by the desire of the ministry to have more influence on the Ministry of Defense.

The candidacy of the commander of the joint forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Sergei Naev, was considered for the post of first deputy. This position is currently occupied by Alexander Pavlyuk, who may soon be fired.

September 4 Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine accepted the decision to dismiss six deputy defense ministers, as well as the ministry’s secretary of state, Konstantin Vashchenko. Vladimir Gavrilov, Rostislav Zamlinsky, Anna Malyar and Denis Sharapov lost their positions. Also dismissed were Andriy Shevchenko, who served as Deputy Minister of Defense for European Integration, and Vitaly Deinegi, who oversaw issues of digital development and transformation of the ministry.

At the beginning of September in Ukraine replaced Minister of Defense Alexey Reznikov, who headed the defense department since November 2021, resigned on September 4. On September 6, the Verkhovna Rada approved Rustem Umerov, who previously headed the state property fund, as Minister of Defense.