The Supervisory Board of the Defense Procurement Agency (DOT) decided to appoint Artem Romanyuk as the temporary head of the agency. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a publication by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Thus, the key body responsible for procurement for the armed forces is, for a transitional period, led by a specialist with many years of experience in state electronic procedures and the digitalization of the defense sector.
Who Is Artem Romanyuk
According to the Ministry of Defense, Romanyuk has extensive experience working within the Prozorro system — the state platform for electronic procurement. He previously held the position of Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries. Within the Ministry of Defense structure, he was responsible for competitive procurement and its transition to electronic format, and with his involvement the digital services "Rezerv+" and "Armiya+", the electronic report, and the electronic military registration document were launched.
The Supervisory Board's Decision
The decision to appoint Romanyuk as the acting head of DOT was made by the Supervisory Board of the Defense Procurement Agency. In his new role, he is expected to continue work on improving procurement mechanisms and transitioning them to a more transparent and digital format. The wording "acting head" indicates that the appointment is of a transitional nature and is linked to the procedure for selecting a permanent head.
Digitalization and the Anti-Corruption Agenda
Among the main areas of work for the new head are the further transition of defense procurement to tender procedures and the digitalization of the corresponding processes. Strengthening anti-corruption work in the procurement sphere is declared a separate priority. It is precisely this block of tasks, by the agency's logic, that should reduce the risks of abuse and increase trust in the mechanisms for supplying the army.
Priorities in the New Role
The priority for the Agency remains ensuring the army with the necessary resources without interruptions. To this end, as emphasized in the statement, attention is planned to be paid to the transparency of procurement procedures, the efficient use of budget funds, and the reduction of associated risks. Thus, Romanyuk's mandate is focused on the balance between the speed of supply and the accountability of fund expenditure.
Contradictory Data
Publications by different media outlets contain differences in the wording of the appointment status. RBC-Ukraine, "Fakty," and Ukranews in their headlines speak of the "new head" and that Romanyuk "heads" the agency, whereas "NV" and the original Ministry of Defense statement clarify that he became specifically the acting head, and note that a competition for the position has been launched. In other words, the discrepancy concerns not the fact of the appointment itself, but its legal nature: a full appointment or the temporary performance of duties until the completion of the competitive selection.
Context: The "Rezerv+" Update
In parallel, the Ministry of Defense released an updated version of the "Rezerv+" application, which has been available to iOS and Android users since September 1. Due to the simultaneous update of the service, some users may experience problems with authorization and the operation of certain functions. This episode further underscores the department's course on digital tools for interacting with military personnel and reservists, in which Romanyuk was previously a direct participant.
