Shmyhal introduced his new deputies

Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal introduced his first deputy, four deputies and a deputy for digitalization. The announcement was made by appeared in the official's social media.

The first deputy was Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, who held this position until April 2025, and before that, from October 2023 to May 2024, he was the deputy head of the Defense Ministry.

"He has extensive experience in senior positions in the military administration of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Previously, he was an advisor to the Commander of the Logistics Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Head of the Main Logistics Directorate, as well as deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In April-August 2022, he was the head of the working group from Ukraine at the Coordination Headquarters for Assistance to Ukraine in Germany," Shmyhal said.

Shmyhal's deputies are Serhiy Boyev, Anna Hvozdyar, colonel Volodymyr Zaverukha and major Yuriy Myronenko, and Oksana Ferchuk has been appointed deputy for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalization.

Since April 2025, under the previous minister, Rustem Umerov, Boyev was the first deputy head of the Defense Ministry.

"[Boyev] has extensive experience in the fields of economics, strategic planning, industry and security. He started his career as an analyst at international financial institutions JPMorgan Chase & Co and Credit Suisse in the UK. After returning to Ukraine, he worked at Boston Consulting Group Ukraine, as well as in senior positions at JSC Ukrgasvydobuvannya and NJSC Naftogaz of Ukrainewhere he was responsible for strategy, development and analytics," said Shmygal.

Since 2023, Boyev has served as an advisor and later as deputy Minister for European Integration at the Ministry of Strategic Industries.

In October 2024, he was appointed deputy minister of Defense for European Integration.

Hvozdyar is a volunteer and civic activist who has been involved in initiatives to support the army, Ukrainian prisoners of war and families of fallen soldiers since 2014.

From 2015 to 2016, the volunteer worked as an advisor to the head of the Luhansk Military-Civilian Administration.

From 2020 to 23, Hvozdyar was the director of the Charitable Foundation Serhiy Prytula.

Since September 2023, the volunteer has worked as the deputy head of the Ministry of Strategy and Industry.

"He has deep expertise in defense production, innovation and scaling of the defense industry," the Defense Ministry chief said.

Shmyhal noted that Zaverukha has 22 years of military service and experience in the defense sector.

"I started my service in 2006 in the engineering troops. In 2017-2020, he served in the Department of Environmental Safety and Mine Action. From 2020 to 2025, he held a number of senior positions in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, including deputy director of the Department of Military-Technical Policy, Development of Arms and Military Equipment of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine – Head of the Department of Development of Arms and Military Equipment," the statement said.

In May 2025, the colonel was appointed first deputy head of the Ministry of Strategic Industries (after the government reboot, this agency joined the Ministry of Defense).

Shmyhal noted that his second deputy, Myronenko, has experience in managing large holdings and "deep expertise in drone technology."

"During the full-scale invasion, he defended Kyiv as part of the 112th Brigade of the Special Forces. From March 2023 to December 2023, he was the commander of the UAV unit of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, participated in battles in the South of Ukraine. He was awarded the "Silver Cross" and "Steel Cross" badges of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the Defense Minister said.

In 2023-2024, the major was the head of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, and in this position, together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, he launched a transparent UAV procurement system that allowed the military to supply more than 1 million drones, Shmyhal noted.

From December 2024 to February 2025, Myronenko worked as deputy head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

In February 2025, he headed the Defense Technology Innovation and Development Center of the Ministry of Defense, where he coordinated the implementation of the DELTA combat system.

The new deputy minister for Digitalization, Ferchuk, worked as an advisor to the Minister of Defense in 2022, specializing in the digitalization of logistics processes, coordinated the implementation of the LOGFAS system, to which Ukraine gained full access the same year, and the launch of the international cooperation platform Korovai.

"Ensured coordination of the implementation of the medical information system (MIS of the Armed Forces) in the Medical Forces Command. She coordinated the implementation of the logistics management system (SAP), including the automation of logistics supply processes (clothing, fuel and lubricants), weapons supply (ground-based weapons systems, UAVs, electronic warfare equipment), communications equipment, medical supplies, and automation of contract work," Shmyhal said.

Prior to the full-scale invasion of Russia, Ferchuk was a top manager in the private sector, including the director of the Nova Poshta group of companies, the electronic public procurement platform (Prozorro reform), and the electronic document management service Vchasno.

• The previous deputy Defense minister for Digitalization, Chernogorenko, held the post for almost two years. Among her key achievements she noted launching the Reserve+ and Army+ applications, raising more than EUR 3 billion from partners within the IT and Drone Coalitions, fighting bureaucracy, developing the space program, etc.