List of ministers of defense (Ukraine)

The minister of defence of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Міністри оборони України, romanizedMinistry oborony Ukrainy) is the head of the Ministry of Defence, which is in charge of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the second-largest military power in Europe after its Russian counterpart. The Minister of Defence is appointed by the president, but this has to be confirmed by a majority vote in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament).[1] From 1 January 2019, Ukraine has had civilian control of the military by requiring that the Minister of Defence be a civilian, although they may have recently resigned from the military.[2]

Minister of Defence of Ukraine
Міністр оборони України
Incumbent
Rustem Umerov
since 6 September 2023
Member of
Reports toPresident of Ukraine
NominatorVerkhovna Rada
AppointerPresident of Ukraine
Term lengthNo fixed term
PrecursorPeople's Commissar of Defense (1944–1945)
People's Minister of Military Affairs (1918–1927)
Inaugural holderKostiantyn Morozov
DeputyFirst Deputy Minister

Since Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, there have been 17 defence ministers (not including acting ones).

List of ministers of defence

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Ministers

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No. Portrait Minister of Defense Took office Left office Time in office Party Defence branch President(s) served under Ref.
1Morozov, KostyantynColonel general
Kostyantyn Morozov
(born 1944)
3 September 199130 September 19932 years, 27 daysIndependent  Ukrainian Air ForceLeonid Kravchuk[3][4][5][6]
Bizhan, IvanColonel general
Ivan Bizhan
(born 1941)
Acting
4 October 19938 October 19934 daysIndependent  Ukrainian Ground ForcesLeonid Kravchuk[6]
2Radetskyi, VitalyiGeneral of the Army
Vitalyi Radetskyi
(born 1944)
8 October 199325 August 1994321 daysIndependent  Ukrainian Ground ForcesLeonid Kravchuk
Leonid Kuchma
[7][8][9]
Shmarov, ValeriyValeriy Shmarov
(1945–2018)
Acting
25 August 199410 October 199446 daysIndependentNoneLeonid Kuchma[9][10]
3Shmarov, ValeriyValeriy Shmarov
(1945–2018)
10 October 19948 July 19961 year, 272 daysIndependentNoneLeonid Kuchma[10][11][12][13]
4Kuzmuk, OleksandrGeneral of the Army
Oleksandr Kuzmuk
(born 1954)
11 July 199624 October 20015 years, 105 daysParty of Regions  Ukrainian Ground ForcesLeonid Kuchma[11][14][15][16][17]
[18][19][20][21]
5Shkidchenko, VolodymyrGeneral of the Army
Volodymyr Shkidchenko
(born 1948)
12 November 200125 June 20031 year, 224 daysIndependent  Ukrainian Ground ForcesLeonid Kuchma[22][23][24]
6Marchuk, YevhenGeneral of the Army
Yevhen Marchuk
(1941–2021)
25 June 200323 September 20041 year, 90 daysIndependent  Ukrainian Ground ForcesLeonid Kuchma[25][24][26]
7Kuzmuk, OleksandrGeneral of the Army
Oleksandr Kuzmuk
(born 1954)
24 September 20043 February 2005133 daysParty of Regions  Ukrainian Ground ForcesLeonid Kuchma
Viktor Yushchenko
[27][28]
8Hrytsenko, AnatoliyColonel
Anatoliy Hrytsenko
(born 1957)
4 February 200518 December 20072 years, 317 daysOur Ukraine Bloc  Ukrainian Air ForceViktor Yushchenko[29][30][31]
9Yekhanurov, YuriyYuriy Yekhanurov
(born 1948)
18 December 20075 June 20091 year, 169 daysRevivalNoneViktor Yushchenko[32][30][33]
Ivashchenko, ValeriyColonel
Valeriy Ivashchenko
(born 1956)
Acting
5 June 200911 March 2010279 daysIndependent  Ukrainian Air ForceViktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yanukovych
10Yezhel, MykhailoAdmiral
Mykhailo Yezhel
(born 1952)
11 March 20108 February 20121 year, 334 daysIndependent  Ukrainian NavyViktor Yanukovych[34]
11Salamatin, DmytroDmytro Salamatin
(born 1965)
8 February 201224 December 2012320 daysParty of RegionsNoneViktor Yanukovych[35]
12Lebedyev, PavloCaptain
Pavlo Lebedyev
(born 1962)
24 December 201227 February 20141 year, 65 daysParty of Regions  Soviet ArmyViktor Yanukovych
Oleksandr Turchynov
[36]
Zamana, VolodymyrColonel general
Volodymyr Zamana
(born 1959)
as Commissar
22 February 201427 February 20145 daysIndependent  Ukrainian Ground ForcesOleksandr Turchynov
Tenyukh, IhorAdmiral
Ihor Tenyukh
(born 1958)
Acting
27 February 201425 March 201426 daysSvoboda  Ukrainian NavyOleksandr Turchynov
Koval, MykhailoColonel general
Mykhailo Koval
(born 1956)
Acting
25 March 20143 July 2014100 daysIndependent  Ukrainian Ground ForcesOleksandr Turchynov
Petro Poroshenko
13Heletey, ValeriyColonel general
Valeriy Heletey
(born 1967)
3 July 201414 October 2014103 daysIndependent  Ukrainian Ground ForcesPetro Poroshenko[1][37]
14Poltorak, StepanGeneral of the Army
Stepan Poltorak
(born 1965)
14 October 201429 August 20194 years, 319 daysIndependent  Ukrainian Ground ForcesPetro Poroshenko
15Zahorodniuk, AndriiAndrii Zahorodniuk
(born 1976)
29 August 20194 March 2020188 daysIndependentNoneVolodymyr Zelenskyy[38]
16Taran, AndriyLieutenant general
Andriy Taran
(born 1955)
4 March 20203 November 20211 year, 244 days[39]Independent  Ukrainian Ground ForcesVolodymyr Zelenskyy[40]
17Reznikov, OleksiiSergeant
Oleksii Reznikov
(born 1966)
4 November 20215 September 20231 year, 305 daysIndependent  Soviet Air ForcesVolodymyr Zelenskyy[41]
18Umerov, RustemRustem Umerov
(born 1982)
6 September 20231 year, 110 daysHolosNoneVolodymyr Zelenskyy[42]

The current Minister of Defense is Rustem Umierov who was sworn in by the Verkhovna Rada on 6 September.[42]The longest-serving Minister of Defense is Oleksandr Kuzmuk who served for a total of 2,063 days.
The longest serving as an acting Minister of Defense is Valeriy Ivashchenko who served for a total 279 days (over 9 months).

First deputy ministers

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Created on 27 May 1992, the office of deputy ministers was expanded on 4 June 1992 with the chief of the General Staff holding the post until 8 February 2002. Since 10 September 2003, the post was "demilitarized", held only by civilian or retired military personnel. The first deputy serves as an acting minister in absence of officially appointed minister unless specified otherwise.

Earlier military ministers and secretaries

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Historically, the ministry was preceding by various other governmental institutions. The very first Ukrainian representative in military affairs was Symon Petlyura, appointed by Volodymyr Vynnychenko to General Secretariat of Ukraine in the summer of 1917. Later in December 1917 after establishing the Bolshevik government in Kharkiv the Military Secretary of Ukraine was opposed by the Military Secretary of Soviet Ukraine whom the first was Vasyl Shakhrai. Note that the first ministers of Ukraine were not specialists in military affairs, particularly such as Mykola Porsh.

The Ukrainian People's Army was in terrible condition and it was not until the power in the country was taken over by the former head of the Russian Imperial Retinue and hereditary Ukrainian Cossack Pavlo Skoropadsky, under leadership of which the new minister became Aleksandr Rogoza (also known as Oleksandr Rohoza). Rogoza was instrumental in restructuring the ministry and recruiting numerous former Russian Imperial generals who pledged their allegiance to the government of Ukraine. By the end of 1918 Bolsheviks recreated the Ukrainian Soviet government and to its office of military affairs was appointed Nikolai Podvoisky, former narkom of Military Affairs of Soviet Russia who played a key role in the October Revolution. Around that time there was created the government of the West Ukrainian People's Republic, the office of military affairs of which was headed by Dmytro Vitovsky who was a specialist in special operations, particularly the mountain warfare. Vitovsky played a key role in securing the city of Lviv and ensuring the proclamation of independence of the new Ukrainian state from the disintegrating Austro-Hungary.

National ministers

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Military Rank Name Term of Office
Start End
Symon Petlyura 28 June 1917 1 January 1918[44]
Mykola Porsh 1 January 1918 17 January 1918
Ivan Nemolovsky 18 January 1918 28 January 1918
Oleksandr Zhukovsky 28 January 1918 29 April 1918
Major General Oleksander Hrekov (temporary) 29 April 1918 3 May 1918
Oleksandr Slyvynsky (temporary) May 3, 1918 May 8, 1918
Major General Oleksandr Lignau (temporary) May 8, 1918 May 16, 1918
Alexander Ragoza May 16, 1918 November 14, 1918
Borys Shutsky (temporary) November 14, 1918 December 14, 1918
Mykola Halahan December 14, 1918 December 26, 1918
Oleksander Osetsky December 26, 1918 January 9, 1919
Major General Oleksander Hrekov (temporary) January 9, 1919 February 14, 1919
Hryhoriy Syrotenko (acting) February 14, 1919 February 22, 1919
Colonel Oleksandr Shapoval February 22, 1919 April 9, 1919
Hryhoriy Syrotenko (acting) April 9, 1919 June 20, 1919
Hryhoriy Syrotenko June 20, 1919 July 4, 1919
Major General Oleksandr Shaible (temporary) July 4, 1919 July 14, 1919
Vsevolod Petriv (temporary) July 14, 1919 November 5, 1919
Major General Volodymyr Salsky November 5, 1919 July 25, 1920
Colonel General Oleksiy Halkin (temporary) July 25, 1920 December 24, 1920
Colonel General Mykola Yunakiv (temporary) December 24, 1920 February 8, 1921
Lieutenant General Serhiy Dyadyusha (temporary) February 8, 1921 March 24, 1921
Lieutenant General Mykhailo Pavlenko (temporary) March 24, 1921 May 11, 1921
Major General Marko Bezruchko (temporary) May 23, 1921 August 5, 1921
Major General Viktor Pavlenko (temporary) August 5, 1921 November 15, 1921
Lieutenant General Petro Yeroshevych (temporary) November 3, 1921 November 14, 1921
Major General Andriy Vovk (temporary) 14 November 1921 22 May 1922
Colonel General Mykola Yunakiv 22 May 1922 1927
Oleksandr Udovychenko

Ministers of Western Ukraine

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Soviet appointees

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Ukraine's new defence minister promises Crimea victory, BBC News (3 July 2014)
  2. ^ Poltorak quits military service, continues to lead Defense ministry as civilian – Poroshenko, UNIAN (13 October 2018)
    Poltorak quits military service to continue leading Ukrainian Defense Ministry as civilian, Interfax-Ukraine (13 October 2018)
  3. ^ (in Ukrainian) Verkhovna Rada Resolution No. 1473-XII "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  4. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 540/1992 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  5. ^ (in Ukrainian) "Commanders of Ministry of Defence, General Staff, and Armed Forces of Ukraine (1991-2009)" (PDF), Army of Ukraine ("Військо України"), 114 (12): 4, retrieved February 19, 2011
  6. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 418/1993 "Regarding acting Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  7. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 434/1993 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  8. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 567/1993 "Regarding promotion of V. Radetskyi"
  9. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 477/1994 "Regarding acting Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  10. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 579/1994 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  11. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) "Commanders of Ministry of Defence, General Staff, and Armed Forces of Ukraine (1991-2009)" (PDF), Army of Ukraine ("Військо України"), 114 (12): 5, retrieved February 19, 2011
  12. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 533/1995 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  13. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 520/1996 "Dismissal of V. Shmarov from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  14. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 528/1996 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  15. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 697/1997 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  16. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 1652/1999 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  17. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 370/2001 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  18. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 359/2001 "Dismissal of O. Kuzmuk from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  19. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 1012/2001 "Dismissal of O. Kuzmuk from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  20. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 1162/1996 "Regarding promotion of O. Kuzmuk"
  21. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 922/1998 "Regarding promotion of O. Kuzmuk"
  22. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 1070/2001 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  23. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 1102/2002 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  24. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) "Commanders of Ministry of Defence, General Staff, and Armed Forces of Ukraine (1991-2009)" (PDF), Army of Ukraine ("Військо України"), 114 (12): 6, retrieved February 19, 2011
  25. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 550/2003 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  26. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 1114/2004 "Dismissal of Y. Marchuk from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  27. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 1115/2004 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  28. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 133/2005 "Dismissal of O. Kuzmuk from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  29. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 154/2005 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  30. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) "Commanders of Ministry of Defence, General Staff, and Armed Forces of Ukraine (1991-2009)" (PDF), Army of Ukraine ("Військо України"), 114 (12): 7, retrieved February 19, 2011
  31. ^ (in Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine No. 1399/2005 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  32. ^ (in Ukrainian) Verkhovna Rada Resolution No. 10-VI "Regarding forming of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine"
  33. ^ (in Ukrainian) Verkhovna Rada Resolution No. 1477-VI "Dismissal of Y. Yekhanurov from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  34. ^ (in Ukrainian) Verkhovna Rada Resolution No. 1970-VI "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
  35. ^ Yanukovych replaces defense minister, Kyiv Post (8 February 2012)
  36. ^ President of Ukraine has appointed new staff of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, UNIAN (24 December 2012)
  37. ^ Heletei appointed Ukrainian defense minister, Interfax-Ukraine (3 July 2014)
  38. ^ "Квота Зеленського: Рада призначила міністра оборони".
  39. ^ Verkhovna Rada dismisses Defense Minister Andriy Taran, Ukrinform (3 November 2021)
  40. ^ Ukrainian lawmakers appoint Andriy Taran as new defense minister, by UNIAN
  41. ^ Ukrainian Lawmakers Approve Reznikov As New Defense Minister, Radio Free Europe (4 November 2021)
  42. ^ a b Harmash, Olena; Dysa, Yuliia; Polityuk, Pavel; Heritage, Timothy. "Ukraine's parliament approves ex-lawmaker Rustem Umerov as defence minister". Reuters. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  43. ^ "Ukraine's defence minister taps new deputies after corruption scandal". Reuters. 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  44. ^ Tynchenko, Ya. Conflict between the Central Council and the Soviet People's Commissariat. First Ukrainian-Bolshevik War (December 1917 - March 1918). Kiev: "Krypiakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies", 1996.