Arsen Zhumadilov, General Director of the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA), has officially submitted his resignation. He announced this personally during a press conference. According to him, his last working day as the agency's director will be August 31, 2026. Thus, Zhumadilov will leave the structure he has led since March 2025, having served as the head of the DPA for just over a year.
Who will take over as Acting Director
Zhumadilov himself named his successor: Oleg Klyots, who previously headed "Medical Procurements of Ukraine," will take his place in the status of Acting General Director of the DPA. This decision means that the transition period in the agency, which is responsible for procuring weapons and military equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, will take place under the leadership of someone already familiar with the logic of state procurement procedures in a related field.
Formal Reason and Real Conflict Around Procurements
According to an RBC-Ukraine source in the defense industry, the resignation of the DPA head is directly related to the situation surrounding procurement procedures. A problem arose in the industry due to the failure to launch a new procedure: the Ministry of Defense attempted to switch from direct procurements to tenders based on tactical and technical characteristics (TTC). However, the new system was never launched, and the old procedure has effectively ceased to function. As a result, there has been a mutual shifting of responsibility: the military department accuses the DPA of inaction, while the agency claims it is ready to conduct tenders but is waiting for the necessary TTCs from the Ministry of Defense.
Contradictory Data
Versions of the reasons for the resignation differ. On the one hand, according to Zhumadilov himself, his departure is a "personal and well-considered decision," indicating a personal rather than forced nature of the step. On the other hand, a source in the defense industry familiar with the situation asserts that the head of the DPA is leaving precisely due to a systemic deadlock in weapons procurement and mutual accusations between the agency and the Ministry of Defense. Thus, the public rhetoric of a "personal decision" and the background version of a "conflict over procedures" coexist, and a definitive qualification of the reasons for the resignation cannot be confirmed at the time of publication.
Context of Appointment and Previous Positions
Arsen Zhumadilov headed the Defense Procurement Agency in March 2025; he was appointed by then-Minister of Defense Rustom Umerov. Before working at the DPA, Zhumadilov managed "Medical Procurements of Ukraine" and the State Rear Operator. His appointment occurred against the backdrop of a conflict surrounding the previous head of the DPA, Marina Bezrukova: Umerov decided not to extend her powers despite the decision of the supervisory board. The Defense Procurement Agency is a specialized structure of the Ministry of Defense responsible for procuring weapons and military equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Criticism Within the System and the Position of Anti-Corruption Bodies
Subsequently, Zhumadilov himself found himself at the center of criticism. He fired his deputy, former NABU director Artem Sytnyk, and also liquidated the procurement control system created by him, which was supposed to prevent the purchase of weapons bypassing the DPA. The Anti-Corruption Action Center criticized these decisions, suggesting that this might have been an attempt to ensure "convenient and loyal control over the agency." Within the DPA itself, Sytnyk's dismissal was explained by the need to optimize work. Against this background, the resignation of the general director concludes a difficult period in the agency's history, marked by a change in leadership and disputes over the mechanisms of control over defense procurement.
