Ukraine appoints new defense minister
(MENAFN) Ukraine's parliament has approved former Prime Minister Denis Shmigal as the new Minister of Defense. Shmigal, who held the premiership since early 2020 and became the country's longest-serving head of government due to postponed elections under martial law, steps into the role during a critical period of the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Shmigal's former deputy, Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko, has taken over as prime minister following his appointment, which became official on Thursday. Rustem Umerov, the outgoing defense minister and Ukraine’s former chief negotiator in peace talks with Russia, is reportedly being considered for the post of ambassador to the United States.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky emphasized that Shmigal’s financial and administrative background would be vital for managing defense needs, saying, “This is the area where the country’s resources are now focused, the workload is at its highest, and the responsibility is enormous.”
The Defense Ministry has faced several corruption scandals since the start of the conflict. Aleksey Reznikov resigned in 2023 amid controversy over overpriced food procurement for the military and later joined a NATO-linked NGO. Umerov, who replaced him, revealed losses of around $262 million due to internal theft in an audit. He is now reportedly under investigation over allegations of inflating defense equipment costs.
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