Anastasia Radina, head of the Ukrainian parliament’s anti-corruption committee, on January 25 called on Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to resign after he fired Maryna Bezrukova, head of the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA).

At the same time, the DPA and Bezrukova said that Umerov’s decision was null and void, and she remains the legitimate head of the agency.

Umerov has been lambasted by MPs and anti-corruption activists for what they see as his efforts to destroy the independence of the Defense Procurement Agency, which was created in 2022 to make defense procurement more transparent and crack down on corruption.

Corruption watchdogs have also argued that Umerov’s actions jeopardize Western military aid to Ukraine.

On January 23, DPA’s supervisory board unanimously voted to extend the contract with Bezrukova for another year.

However, Umerov overruled the board’s decision on January 24, saying he would do so do not renew Bezrukova’s contract as head of DPA. He allegedly cited unsatisfactory results as the reason.

But the defense procurement agency said in a Jan. 25 statement that it continues to work under Bezrukova’s leadership despite Umerov’s statements about her dismissal.

“DPA continues to work under the leadership of Maryna Bezrukova, as only the supervisory board has the authority to extend or terminate the director’s current contract. This is in line with both the Ukrainian law and the latest version of the agency’s charter,” The the the the agency statement read.

The agency said the planned appointment of a new agency head was a “direct manifestation of pressure” on the regulatory board and an attempt to destroy independent corporate governance.

“This is an unprecedented violation of all previous agreements between the Ministry of Defence, civil society and international partners,” the statement read.

Radina, head of parliament’s anti-corruption committee and a member of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s People’s Party servants, said Umerov “must hand in his resignation” over the scandal.

“The decision (by the board to extend Bezrukova’s contract) turned out to be so independent that it upset the defense minister,” she said. “… I believe that these actions undermine defense procurement reform and represent direct interference in procurement processes. It does not matter who will be on the “new oversight board” or who will lead the agencies – the minister has clearly shown that these People can be fired when preferably with a pen.”

Radina accused Umerov of violating the law and failing to fulfill procurement contracts.

“The Ministry of Defense in a country at war must be led by someone for whom legality, transparency and accountability are not just empty words,” she added.

According to Ukrainian law, the supervisory board has the authority to hire and fire the heads of state unilaterally. This means that after the board’s vote, Bezrukova should take over Insurance agency for another year.

However, due to changes recently made to the agency’s charter by the Ministry of Defense, which oversees the DPA, the ministry can reverse the oversight board’s decision.

Anti-corruption activists and lawmakers say the changes and Umerov’s decision are “illegal.”

Following Umerov’s move, Anti-Corruption Action Center Submitted a complaint to the country’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) to open an investigation against Umerov on suspicion of alleged abuse of power.

Earlier, Bezrukova announced that she would continue to fulfill her duties as head of the DPA. Bezrukova took over the agency in January 2024 and her contract expires at the end of January 2025.

Ukraine arms procurement cleanup at risk as defense minister moves to undermine reform

Ukraine’s long-running effort to clean up its arms procurement risks unraveling as the Defense Ministry strangles the defense procurement agency, anti-corruption activists and lawmakers say. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on January 24 that he would not renew the contract for …