Ukraine's government appoints three deputy defense ministers
Rustem Umerov (Photo: ANDRII NESTERENKO/EPA)

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has appointed three new deputy defense ministers, reported the representative of the government in the Verkhovna Rada, Taras Melnychuk.

By decision of the Cabinet, the following were appointed to the ministry:

- Yuriy Anatoliyovych Dzhyhyr to the post of Deputy Minister of Defense;
– Natalia Fernandivna Kalmykova to the position of Deputy Minister of Defense;
– Kateryna Leonidivna Chernohorenko to the post of Deputy Minister of Defense for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalization.

The Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, has already commented on these appointments, describing the experience and competence of each appointed deputy.

Yuriy Dzhyhyr – deputy for finance. For the last three years, he has been advising the World Bank on the financial aspects of reforms related to health care. More than 20 years of economic experience in supporting reforms, social policy and fiscal decentralization in Ukraine, the Eastern Balkans, and Central Asia.

Natalia Kalmykova – deputy for social development. Since February 2022, she was the executive director of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, before that she was an adviser to the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the deputy director of the Come Back Alive Fund.

Kateryna Chernohorenko – deputy for digital development. Head of the "Army of Drones" project. Since 2018, she has been the project coordinator of electronic childcare services eMalyatko, electronic hospital and introduction of COVID-certificates in the Diia state services app.

"The priority for new team members is our soldiers, their lives, health and dignity," the minister stressed.

On September 18, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to dismiss Volodymyr Havrylov, Rostyslav Zamlynskyi, Hanna Malyar, Denys Sharapov, Andriy Shevchenko, Vitaliy Deynega, and Kostyantyn Vashchenko (the department's state secretary) from their positions as Deputy Ministers of Defense. Their dismissal is connected with the process of renewal of the department.

On September 3, in an evening video message, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the decision to replace the Minister of Defense Reznikov with the head of the State Property Fund Umerov.

On September 6, Rustem Umerov became the new Minister of Defense.