Zelensky commented on the conflict between the Ministry of Defense and the Defense Procurement Agency.

The Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, has the authority to do everything necessary to ensure that the supply of weapons for the Defense Forces of Ukraine is not hindered. This opinion was expressed by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with the AP on February 2, against the backdrop of the conflict between the Ministry of Defense and the State Enterprise "Defense Procurement Agency," as well as Umerov's decision not to extend the contract with the head of the agency, Marina Bezrukova, despite the Supervisory Board's support for her candidacy.

In response to a journalist's question about the conflict between the leadership of the agency and Umerov, the President stated that the Minister of Defense clearly understands that he cannot afford any delays in supplying weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the President, Rustem Umerov is capable of making decisions that will prevent issues with contract signing, as "there can be no pauses in urgent decisions."

“Therefore, the Minister of Defense has the right to do everything necessary to avoid any delays in supply. Today, all our funds are in the Ministry of Defense. All our money is in our army. And if there is money there, but some delivery has not arrived, then, frankly, he must do everything to ensure that there are no more such problems. And he is fulfilling that,” – stated Volodymyr Zelensky.

It is worth noting that Zelensky supported the Minister of Defense's work following a request from the head of the agency, Marina Bezrukova, to intervene in the conflict and influence the restoration of stable agency operations.

Scandal Surrounding the Defense Procurement Agency

In December 2024, the Ministry of Defense made amendments to the statutes of the agency and the State Operator of Logistics. Among the proposals for the updated statute was the permission for the Ministry of Defense to issue mandatory directives to procurement agencies or make personnel decisions in case of "existing or potential threats to national security" without clear regulation. Activists and deputies criticized the Ministry's proposals, calling the changes a threat to "political decisions" – in particular, the Ministry could bypass the decisions of the agency's Supervisory Boards and have the ability to dismiss "inconvenient" officials.

The Supervisory Boards of the Defense Procurement Agency and the State Logistics Operator were established in October 2024. The Supervisory Board of the Defense Procurement Agency includes independent members Kateryna Kuznetsova, Lukash Stolyarsky, Patrick Auroy, as well as representatives from the state – former Deputy Minister of Defense Yuriy Dzhygyr and the director of the "Come Back Alive" fund, Taras Chmut.

On January 24, the Supervisory Board of the agency made the decision to extend the contract with the current head of the agency, Marina Bezrukova. However, on the same day, Rustem Umerov accused Bezrukova of the "failure of defense procurement" and refused to extend her contract. Additionally, the Minister of Defense recalled Taras Chmut and Yuriy Dzhygyr, accusing them of "ignoring the recommendations of the governing body." Umerov appointed Arsen Zhumadilov, the general director of the State Operator of Logistics, to replace Bezrukova, who will not leave his position in the State Operator.

On January 25, the CPD appealed to the NABU demanding the initiation of a criminal proceeding against Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov for abuse of power. The organization argued that the Ministry of Defense does not have the authority to refuse to extend the contract with the current head of the agency. According to the Law "On Management of State Property," such authority lies solely with the Supervisory Board, whose members Umerov recalled.

By January 28, the NABU confirmed that they had opened a criminal proceeding against Rustem Umerov – law enforcement is investigating his possible abuse of power that caused serious consequences – part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. At the same time, the NABU reminded of Umerov's presumption of innocence.

On January 31, the Ministry of Defense dismissed Marina Bezrukova from her position as director of the State Enterprise "Defense Procurement Agency." Arsen Zhumadilov was officially appointed as the acting director. Marina Bezrukova and the National Association of Defense Industry of Ukraine (NAUDI) appealed to Volodymyr Zelensky to intervene in the conflict and assist in resolving it legally. Furthermore, Bezrukova requested the President to ensure the full operation of the agency "without pressure, blockages, and attacks."