Head of Defense Procurement Agency Zhumadilov resigns

Arsen Zhumadilov, the head of the Lethal Defence Acquisition Agency, has decided to resign from his position. His final day in the job will be August 31st, according to a post he made on his Facebook page. Zhumadilov explained that he is leaving the role voluntarily, and no one has forced him out. When he first took the role in 2023, the defense procurement system was non-existent.

Instead, different parts of the Defense Ministry handled procurement, with the military having minimal say in what the state purchased for it. Zhumadilov set himself a three-year goal when appointed. He first established the State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition, then transitioned the successful methods and tools from the previous State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition to the Lethal Defence Acquisition Agency.

Eventually, the two agencies merged to form a single system for supplying the army. They shifted from manual management to standardized processes, program management, market engagement, risk management, compliance, and internal control. Over time, the percentage of Ukrainian manufacturers in procurement increased from 44% in 2024 to 87% in 2026.

The number of verified suppliers of lethal items grew to more than 2,000, both domestic and foreign. Key digital solutions included the DOT-Chain system, which allowed military units to choose equipment directly from manufacturers. This system has delivered over 1.2 million items to 486 units of Ukraine’s defense forces, with an average delivery time of nine days, including a record one-day delivery.

Zhumadilov also revamped rear-area procurement, digitizing food supply processes through the DOT-Chain Food system, which quadrupled the supply cycle speed and provided data on ordered items, quantities, and timelines. A risk management system and compliance architecture were also established. Throughout these efforts, there were no confirmed corruption cases within the team.

Zhumadilov noted that over three years, zero corruption cases were reported within the team. While there are still decisions to implement, scale up, and progress, he emphasized that a system has been established to continuously improve results, regardless of who leads it.