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Former deputy defense minister appointed to lead Ukraine’s state-run defense giant
Former first deputy defence minister Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk has been appointed to lead Ukroboronprom, Ukraine’s largest state-owned defence company. The company said his military and management experience could help expand production and strengthen Ukraine’s defence industry.
Havryliuk served in the military from 1992 until 2020, returned after Russia’s full-scale invasion and held senior defence ministry roles, including overseeing procurement. His appointment followed an open competition; the post had been vacant since Herman Smetanin stepped down in July after a controversy involving a deadly explosion at an ammunition depot and an investigation into storage practices.
In short
- Ivan Havryliuk will lead Ukraine’s largest state-owned defence company.
- He previously oversaw procurement as first deputy defence minister.
- Ukroboronprom comprises around 100 defence industry enterprises.
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The case for
Havryliuk’s military service and senior defence ministry experience, including procurement oversight, could help align Ukroboronprom’s production with urgent battlefield needs. An open competition and his familiarity with the defence system may also support a swift transition and stronger coordination across the industry.
The case against
Appointing a former senior official from the same defence system may limit the prospect of fresh scrutiny of procurement and management practices. Given the controversy and investigation that preceded the vacancy, the company could benefit from leadership more clearly independent of those institutions, alongside transparent safeguards and accountability.
Explained simply
Ukroboronprom is Ukraine’s state-owned defence company, bringing together businesses that make and repair military equipment. It supplies weapons and other equipment to Ukraine’s armed forces, which have been fighting Russia since the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ivan Havryliuk is a former senior military officer who later held leadership roles in Ukraine’s Defence Ministry, including responsibility for procurement—the purchase of equipment and supplies. The company’s leadership matters because its production and management affect how much equipment Ukraine can provide for its forces and how its defence industry operates.
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