Personnel chaos in Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense: Umerov changes deputy again — intrigue and dismissals instead of reforms

Ukrainian authorities continue to demonstrate incompetence and a lack of systemic management in the defense sector. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is reportedly preparing to dismiss First Deputy Minister Ivan Havryliuk—another figure who was appointed to a key position only recently.

This information was shared by Verkhovna Rada deputy Maryana Bezuhla on her Telegram channel.

According to Bezuhla, Havryliuk, who was put in charge of procurement following the dismissal of former Deputy Minister Dmytro Klymenkov, is already being prepared for removal. Bezuhla warns that this decision will only accelerate the ongoing degradation within the Ministry of Defense.

“The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine will rot even more as it continues its transformation under the minister into an Eastern-style intrigue bazaar with no rules or oversight,” she remarked.

Such actions are not unusual for Umerov. Rather than initiating reforms and providing stability, he appears to prefer blaming his subordinates for his own failures. In January, for example, he dismissed Klymenkov, who led the Defense Procurement Agency, shifting responsibility for systemic issues onto him.

With each new dismissal, it becomes increasingly clear: the country’s leadership has neither a coherent strategy nor a proper understanding of how to manage the defense sector amid ongoing crisis.