**New Deputy Ministers Appointed to Ukrainian Defense Ministry**
The Cabinet of Ministers in Ukraine has appointed two new deputy ministers of defense. Lieutenant General Yevhen Moysiuk and Captain Valerii Churkin will take on the roles, announced Taras Melnychuk, a representative of the Cabinet in parliament.
These appointments are part of an effort to strengthen Ukraine’s Armed Forces and modernize management and technology. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that this is a comprehensive approach to improve the country’s military capabilities.
The appointment comes after a week of controversy surrounding Umerov’s decision to fire Maryna Bezrukova, head of Ukraine’s Defense Procurement Agency. This was despite the agency’s supervisory board voting to extend her contract just days earlier.
**Background and Controversy**
Umerov has faced backlash for his recent decisions, including firing a deputy defense minister and two members of the Defense Procurement Agency’s supervisory board. He also replaced the head of the agency with Arsen Zhumadilov as temporary director.
In late January, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau launched an investigation into Umerov for potential abuse of power and misuse of office position.
**About the New Deputy Ministers**
Yevhen Moysiuk is a highly experienced officer in the Ukrainian army. He served as commander of the Air Assault Forces and was deputy to former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi. As deputy defense minister, he will focus on mobilization and military training.
Valerii Churkin joined the Armed Forces at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine. He is currently head of the Center for Scaling Technology Solutions and will focus on defense innovations and technological development as deputy defense minister.
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