Defense ministry procurement chief announces early resignation after new minister takes office

Arsen Zhumadilov, the director of Ukraine's Defense Procurement Agency, announced his early resignation on August 20, effective August 31. Zhumadilov stated that his decision was made independently and was not influenced by any external factors. This announcement follows the approval of Evhen Khmara, a former SBU acting head, as Ukraine's new defense minister by the country's parliament on August 19.

Interim agency head Oleh Klots, previously the director general of the state-owned Medical Procurement of Ukraine, will manage the defense procurement agency until a permanent successor is appointed by the incoming defense minister. Klots led the agency from 2025 to 2026, prior to Zhumadilov's tenure as director. Zhumadilov took the helm of the Defense Procurement Agency in March 2025 after the dismissal of its previous director, Maryna Bezrukova, amidst tensions with the ministry's leadership.

The Defense Procurement Agency and the State Rear Operator, which oversee non-lethal procurement, were merged into a single body under Zhumadilov's leadership in January 2025. This merger faced criticism from anti-corruption watchdogs and contradicted NATO recommendations. Zhumadilov faced questioning by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau in May 2026 regarding a corruption scandal involving businessman Timur Mindich, who was President Volodymyr Zelensky's former associate.

Zhumadilov confirmed attending a meeting with Mindich and former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in March 2025 to discuss defense contracts, but denied any wrongdoing.