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Rustem Umerov and President Volodymyr Zelensky. December 2024.
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Ukraine’s defense minister is being investigated for abuse of power — and could face up to six years in prison

Source: Meduza
Rustem Umerov and President Volodymyr Zelensky. December 2024.
Rustem Umerov and President Volodymyr Zelensky. December 2024.
Press service of the president of Ukraine / Planet Pix / ZUMA Press Wire / Scanpix / LETA

A spat between Ukraine’s defense minister and the country’s weapons procurement agency has escalated into a PR crisis. Now, Western officials and anti-corruption groups fear it could weaken U.S. support for Kyiv and jeopardize weapons deliveries, the Financial Times reported. The dispute began when Defense Minister Rustem Umerov declined to renew the contract of Defense Procurement Agency head Maryna Bezrukova. But Bezrukova refused to step down, arguing he lacked the authority to remove her. Now, Umerov is under investigation for abuse of power. Here’s what we know so far about the standoff.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau has opened a criminal case against Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. News of the investigation broke late on January 28.

The case was launched following a complaint from the Anti-Corruption Action Center, which accused Umerov of possible abuse of power over his decision not to renew the contract of Maryna Bezrukova, the head of the Defense Procurement Agency.

The agency, an autonomous body within the Defense Ministry, oversees weapons procurement for Ukraine’s armed forces. It was established in the summer of 2022 after a series of corruption scandals at the ministry, with the goal of making military procurement as transparent as possible.


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Under its original charter, the agency’s director was appointed by an independent supervisory board. However, in December 2024, the Defense Ministry amended the charter, giving itself the authority to appoint a director unilaterally in cases of “national security threats.” On January 24, Umerov announced he would not renew Bezrukova’s expiring contract — despite the supervisory board voting a week earlier to keep her in the role.

Umerov defended his decision, arguing that the agency had been engaged in “political games” instead of ensuring timely ammunition deliveries to the military. He also suggested that procurement transparency had gone too far during wartime: “For some reason, weapons purchases have turned into an ‘Amazon’ where every Internet user can see, in real time, who is buying what, in what quantities, and from which manufacturers.”

The Defense Procurement Agency, meanwhile, accused the Defense Ministry of pressuring the supervisory board and maintained that Bezrukova remained its legitimate leader.

If convicted of abuse of power, Umerov could face up to six years in prison. He has not yet commented on the case.

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