"The front should receive the best for reasonable money": Romanyukov from the Ministry of Defense temporarily headed AOZ

He is considered a Fedorov loyalist.

Today, 1 September, Arsen Zhumadilov left his post as head of the Defense Procurement Agency — yesterday was his last working day. Earlier he said the decision to resign was personal and well-considered, adding that he made it for his own reasons and that there was no question of dismissal or removal. Meanwhile, the agency’s supervisory board has already chosen his successor — Artem Romanyukov was appointed acting head.

Before AOZ he was head of the Ministry of Defense’s digitalization department; he also worked at the Ministry for Strategic Industries. Romanyukov is considered a person of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov; during his involvement the services “Reserve+,” “Army+,” as well as the digital electronic report and the military registration document were launched. Among the main tasks set for Romanyukov in the new position will be continuing the shift of defense procurement to tenders, digitalizing mechanisms that need it, and work on the anti-corruption track.

"The front should receive the best for reasonable money and through transparent procedures," Romanyukov noted. "I will use all my knowledge and expertise to achieve this goal. For me it is a great honor to continue working to strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces."

What Zhumadilov will do next is currently unknown. Before working at the Defense Procurement Agency he headed “Medical Procurements of Ukraine” and the State Rear Operator (SRO). AOZ is a specialized state enterprise of the Ministry of Defense responsible for procuring weapons and military equipment — he headed it in March of 2025. This happened against the backdrop of a scandal: the then-minister Rustem Umerov, despite the supervisory board’s decision, refused to reinstate Maryna Bezrukova to the corresponding position.

Later Zhumadilov himself became embroiled in a scandal as head of AOZ, dismissing his deputy — former NABU director Artem Sytnyk — and dismantling the system Sytnyk had created, which prevented buying weapons bypassing the agency. The Anti-Corruption Center criticized the decision, saying Zhumadilov and Umerov were trying to "ensure convenient and loyal control over the agency." AOZ tried to justify the move by linking Sytnyk’s dismissal to the need for optimization.

In addition, Zhumadilov is featured in the “Mindich tapes.” The recordings indicate that he and Umerov met with businessman Timur Mindich, who is suspected of corruption, regarding SRO procurements of substandard bulletproof vests. Zhumadilov confirmed the meeting but insisted he had no prior agreements and acted solely in the interest of quality: "I told him (Mindich — ed.) about the vests that if they are of good quality — we will accept them, and if they are of poor quality — then we will not."