Ambassadors of the G7 countries are calling for a resolution to the conflict surrounding the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA), as stated in a statement released on the social platform X on Monday.
"G7 Ambassadors recommend resolving the situation at the DPA as soon as possible and focusing on the continuation of defense procurements. Adhering to the principles of good governance and NATO recommendations is crucial for maintaining public trust and the confidence of international partners," the statement reads.
According to Daria Kaleniuk from the Center for Combating Corruption, the recommendations were adopted at the NATO summit in Washington in the summer of 2024, where the basic recommendation was to launch supervisory boards for procurement defense agencies to protect them from "external pressures and attacks."
As reported, the Ministry of Defense announced the establishment of supervisory boards comprising three independent members and two state representatives in the DPA and the State Defense Order (SDO) at the beginning of 2024, replacing the internal divisions of the ministry that handled procurements. The supervisory boards for the DPA and SDO were officially created in January 2025; however, in December, the charters of these entities were amended, limiting the powers of the supervisory boards. Amid an already established conflict between Minister Rustem Umerov and agency director Marina Bezrukova, the DPA supervisory board unanimously decided on January 21 to extend Bezrukova's contract for another year and conduct a comprehensive audit of the Agency's activities with the involvement of an international NATO audit council.
The Ministry of Defense did not approve this extension; however, the supervisory board, now with two votes in favor and two against, considering the casting vote of the chair, former Deputy Minister of Defense Yuri Dzhigira, extended Bezrukova's contract on January 24. On the same day, Umerov announced that Bezrukova's contract would not be extended, and the head of the SDO, Zhumadilov, would lead the DPA while holding both positions. Bezrukova was suspended from her position, and Zhumadilov was registered as the head of the DPA.
The minister also stated that he initiated the dismissal of his deputy Dmitry Klimenkov, who oversees procurements, recalls two state representatives on the supervisory board - former Deputy Minister of Defense Yuri Dzhigira and director of the "Come Back Alive" fund Taras Chmut, who voted to extend Bezrukova's powers, and will restart the supervisory board.
The volume of DPA procurements is approximately 300 billion UAH per year, while the SDO amounts to about 100 billion UAH.