Digitalization and Competition: The New Head of AOZ Explained What Will Happen with Weapon Procurements

Interim Acting Director of the Defense Procurement Agency (DOZ) Artem Romanyukov named the main principles that will guide defense procurement.

What principles did the new head of the DOZ define? Romanyukov named three key principles of his work in the position: more real competition where it is possible — this, in his words, provides better conditions for the state, more opportunities for manufacturers and suppliers, and better provisioning of the armed forces; further digitization of procurements and clear, predictable rules for manufacturers and suppliers; integrity and accountability across the board — procurement decisions should be made solely in the interests of the military and the state. He added that the Agency works in close coordination with the Ministry of Defense, and some approaches were developed with the Ministry’s team even before his appointment to the DOZ. Now his task is to implement these approaches in procurement processes, preserving and developing what already works well. According to Romanyukov, the state should use resources efficiently, and the market should understand the rules of operation so that every service member receives what they need on time, “for reasonable money.” Also read: The sector reports defense procurements outside Prozorro: is there corruption or violations?

Artem Romanyukov became head of the DOZ in 1 September 2026 of the year — the Supervisory Board of the Agency unanimously appointed him acting head after agreeing on the candidacy with the Ministry of Defense. Before this, Romanyukov held the position of Director of Development at the DOZ, and previously headed the Ministry of Defense’s Procurement Policy Department and was deputy minister for strategic industries of the economy. The previous head of the Agency, Arsen Zhumadilov, left the post on 31 August 2026 of the year.