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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Regarding the appointment of Oleksiy Reva as Deputy Minister of Defense, the picture is ambiguous. Oleksiy, together with his brother Ihor, are screenwriters and comedians from Poltava who were in Roman Hryshchuk’s project “Mamahohotala,” and Hryshchuk has now been a member of parliament from Servant of the People for seven years. Even before 2020 they performed in Russian: the duo “Ne rodstvenniki.”
But when the full-scale invasion began, they joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
However, at first the brothers served in the Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support.
Then they made a decision that was truly important for their transformation: they transferred to the 47 brigade. They became part of the 47 brigade team at a time when there was an idea to make it the best of the best. It’s definitely a good school, experience organizing processes in a combat unit, and experience of disillusionment when the 47 was effectively destroyed during the southern counteroffensive in 2023, and then were accused and the already well-coordinated and so painstakingly formed management team was broken apart.
And so, when it became clear what was happening with the brigade, the brothers transferred to Kateryna Chornogorenko at the Ministry of Defense, who had been Umerov’s deputy for digitalization, and they were already working on digitalization in her team.
“While working at the ministry we also managed various projects. I handled ‘Reserve+,’ and my brother handled ‘Army+,’” Ihor Reva recalled.
Nevertheless, later in the course of the internal disputes the brothers transferred to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense under Budanov, but Oleksiy did not stay there long, because Roman Hryshchuk’s aide Kseniia Semenova became head of the Kyiv Aviation Institute and brought him there as head of the military department.
And so, having served very briefly in that position, Oleksiy was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine and is now responsible for all digitalization of our defense, including registers of those liable for military service, medical records, logistics and supply, combat systems, and so on.
EVERYTHING.
The biography is interesting, with little strategic experience. The appointment may seem strange, and the risks are colossal. It is also clear that most citizens cannot so easily be transferred horizontally and vertically; connections are needed. Many excellent digitalization specialists went to the frontlines and there were killed or maimed without the possibility of applying their skills, without transfers, without justice (not to mention the comedians and screenwriters).
But still I will add that I consider Roman Hryshchuk one of the best MPs. He and his circle have not been noticed in dirty dealings during the whole time; around him are many people who found themselves during the war in other roles — in the Armed Forces, volunteering, education, etc.
At least, I want to believe that.
At the same time I fully understand the risks: the Ministry of Defense now represents a structure broken and maimed by the replacement of four ministers over the course of a year, where now there are handsome faces gathered without a defense plan.
At the same time I do not rule out and even hope that some of these “showcase” men and women, who have filled the deputy minister positions, as well as the minister himself, a special appointee from the SBU who agreed to such an adventure, will deliver a better result than one might expect...
Good luck.
We’ll see.
A country of opportunities.
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