Ivan Havryliuk Became Head of Ukroboronprom After Procurement Scandals

3 November 2026, General-Lieutenant Ivan Havryliuk took over the state-owned concern Ukroboronprom after a competitive selection with participation from the international recruiting firm Amrop. The new head of the concern previously served as First Deputy Defense Minister to Rustem Umerov and was involved in approving defense contracts and allocating funding. His prior work at the Ministry of Defense was accompanied by questions about multi-billion purchases made through the Polish intermediary PHU Lechmar, the redistribution of budget funds through the State Border Guard Service, and the circumstances of the general's own resignation.

Despite the resignation, his career in the defense department continued, media report. 25 July 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers reinstated Ivan Havryliuk as First Deputy Defense Minister. In February 2026 he became Deputy Minister; in June he served as adviser to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on defense-industrial complex issues; and in September he was acting head of Ukroboronprom.

Personnel changes at the concern also followed an explosion at an ammunition depot in Vyshneve 6 July 2026, when a Russian strike caused ammunition to detonate at a defense enterprise site. Reports say nine people died. The Security Service of Ukraine detained two enterprise managers in a case concerning improper storage of ammunition. The previous CEO of Ukroboronprom, Herman Smetanin, left his post without publicly explaining the reasons for his resignation. Now Ivan Havryliuk heads the state defense concern, which includes enterprises that produce weapons and military equipment. His appointment comes amid questions about prior defense procurement mechanisms, contracts with PHU Lechmar, financial control, and personnel decisions at the Ministry of Defense. At the same time, published journalistic materials do not establish the general's personal involvement in embezzlement or illegal operations with the Polish intermediary.