List of Ministers of Defense (Ukraine)
Minister of Defense of Ukraine Міністр оборони України | |
---|---|
Member of |
Cabinet National Security and Defense Council |
Reports to | The President |
Appointer |
The President with Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) advice and consent |
Term length | No fixed term |
Precursor |
People's Commissar of Defense (1944-1945) and People's Minister of Military Affairs (1918-1927) |
Inaugural holder | Kostiantyn Morozov |
Deputy | First Deputy Minister |
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Ukraine |
Constitution |
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The Ministers of Defense (Ukrainian: Міністр оборони, Ministr oborony) is Ukraine's head of the Ministry of Defence which is in charge of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the second biggest military power in Europe after its Russian counterpart.
Since Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, there have been 13 Ministers (19 counting acting). Valeriy Heletey is the incumbent Minister since his confirmation on 3 July 2014.[1] The Minister of Defense is appointed by the President, but this has to be confirmed by a majority vote in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament).[1]
List of Ministers of Defence
Ministers since Ukrainian independence
# | Picture | Name | Origin | Took Office | Left Office | Days served | President(s) served under | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kostyantyn Morozov | Luhansk Oblast | September 3, 1991 | September 30, 1993 | 758 | Leonid Kravchuk | [2][3][4][5] | |
Acting | Ivan Bizhan | Vinnytsia Oblast | October 4, 1993 | October 8, 1993 | 4 | [5] | ||
2 | Vitalyi Radetskyi | Cherkasy Oblast | October 8, 1993 | August 25, 1994 | 321 | Leonid Kravchuk Leonid Kuchma |
[6][7][8] | |
Acting | Valeriy Shmarov | Vinnytsia Oblast | 25 August, 1994 | 10 October, 1994 | 46 | Leonid Kuchma | [8][9] | |
3 | 10 October, 1994 | 8 July, 1996 | 637 | [9][10][11][12] | ||||
4 | Oleksandr Kuzmuk | Khmelnytskyi Oblast | 11 July, 1996 | 24 October, 2001 | 1931 | [10][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] | ||
Acting | Unknown | 24 October, 2001 | 12 November, 2001 | 19 | ||||
5 | Volodymyr Shkidchenko | Russian SFSR | 12 November, 2001 | 25 June, 2003 | 589 | [21][22][23] | ||
6 | Yevhen Marchuk | Kirovohrad Oblast | 25 June, 2003 | 23 September, 2004 | 456 | [24][23][25] | ||
7 | Oleksandr Kuzmuk | Khmelnytskyi Oblast | 24 September, 2004 | 3 February, 2005 | 132 | Leonid Kuchma Viktor Yushchenko |
[26][27] | |
8 | Anatoliy Hrytsenko | Cherkasy Oblast | 4 February, 2005 | 18 December, 2007 | 1047 | Viktor Yushchenko | [28][29][30] | |
9 | Yuriy Yekhanurov | Russian SFSR | 18 December, 2007 | 5 June, 2009 | 535 | [31][29][32] | ||
Acting | Valeriy Ivashchenko | Zaporizhia Oblast | 5 June, 2009 | 11 March, 2010 | 279 | Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Yanukovych |
||
10 | Mykhailo Yezhel | Vinnytsia Oblast | 11 March, 2010 | 8 February, 2012 | 699 | Viktor Yanukovych | [33] | |
11 | Dmytro Salamatin | Russian SFSR | 8 February, 2012 | 24 December 2012 | 320 | [34] | ||
12 | Pavlo Lebedyev | 24 December 2012 | 27 February 2014 | 430 | Viktor Yanukovych Oleksandr Turchynov |
[35] | ||
Commissar | Volodymyr Zamana | Chernihiv Oblast | 22 February 2014 | 27 February 2014 | 5 | Oleksandr Turchynov | ||
Acting | Ihor Tenyukh | Lviv Oblast | 27 February 2014 | 25 March 2014 | 26 | |||
Acting | Mykhailo Koval | Khmelnytskyi Oblast | 25 March 2014 | 3 July 2014 | 100 | Oleksandr Turchynov Petro Poroshenko |
||
13 | Valeriy Heletey | Zakarpattia Oblast | 3 July 2014 | 14 October 2014 | 103 | Petro Poroshenko | [1] | |
14 | Stepan Poltorak | Odessa Oblast | 14 October 2014 | present | 782 |
The longest-serving Minister of Defence is Oleksandr Kuzmuk who served for a total of 2,063 days.
The longest serving as an acting Minister of Defense is Valeriy Ivashchenko who served for a total 279 days (over 9 months).
Military ministers and secretaries before the Soviet Union
Historically, the ministry was preceding by various other governmental institutions. The very first Ukrainian representative in military affairs was Symon Petlyura, appointed by Volodymyr Vynnychenko to General Secretariat of Ukraine in the summer of 1917. Later in December 1917 after establishing the Bolshevik government in Kharkiv the Military Secretary of Ukraine was opposed by the Military Secretary of Soviet Ukraine whom the first was Vasyl Shakhrai. Note that the first ministers of Ukraine were not specialists in military affairs, particularly such as Mykola Porsh.
The Ukrainian People's Army was in terrible condition and it was not until the power in the country was taken over by the former head of the Russian Imperial Retinue and hereditary Ukrainian Cossack Pavlo Skoropadsky, under leadership of which the new minister became Aleksandr Rogoza (also known as Oleksandr Rohoza). Rogoza was instrumental in restructuring the ministry and recruiting numerous former Russian Imperial generals who pledged their allegiance to the government of Ukraine. By the end of 1918 Bolsheviks recreated the Ukrainian Soviet government and to its office of military affairs was appointed Nikolai Podvoisky, former narkom of Military Affairs of Soviet Russia who played a key role in the October Revolution. Around that time there was created the government of the West Ukrainian People's Republic, the office of military affairs of which was headed by Dmytro Vitovsky who was a specialist in special operations, particularly the mountain warfare. Vitovsky played a key role in securing the city of Lviv and ensuring the proclamation of independence of the new Ukrainian state from the disintegrating Austro-Hungary.
National ministers
Military Rank | Name | Term of Office | |
---|---|---|---|
Start | End | ||
Symon Petlyura | June 28, 1917 | January 1, 1918[36] | |
Mykola Porsh | January 1, 1918 | January 17, 1918 | |
Ivan Nemolovsky | January 18, 1918 | January 28, 1918 | |
Oleksandr Zhukovsky | January 28, 1918 | April 29, 1918 | |
Major General | Oleksander Hrekov (temporary) | April 29, 1918 | May 3, 1918 |
Oleksandr Slyvynsky (temporary) | May 3, 1918 | May 8, 1918 | |
Major General | Oleksandr Lignau (temporary) | May 8, 1918 | May 16, 1918 |
Alexander Ragoza | May 16, 1918 | November 14, 1918 | |
Borys Shutsky (temporary) | November 14, 1918 | December 14, 1918 | |
Mykola Halahan | December 14, 1918 | December 26, 1918 | |
Oleksander Osetsky | December 26, 1918 | January 9, 1919 | |
Major General | Oleksander Hrekov (temporary) | January 9, 1919 | February 14, 1919 |
Hryhoriy Syrotenko (acting) | February 14, 1919 | February 22, 1919 | |
Colonel | Oleksandr Shapoval | February 22, 1919 | April 9, 1919 |
Hryhoriy Syrotenko (acting) | April 9, 1919 | June 20, 1919 | |
Hryhoriy Syrotenko | June 20, 1919 | July 4, 1919 | |
Major General | Oleksandr Shaible (temporary) | July 4, 1919 | July 14, 1919 |
Vsevolod Petriv (temporary) | July 14, 1919 | November 5, 1919 | |
Major General | Volodymyr Salsky | November 5, 1919 | July 25, 1920 |
Colonel General | Oleksiy Halkin (temporary) | July 25, 1920 | December 24, 1920 |
Colonel General | Mykola Yunakiv (temporary) | December 24, 1920 | February 8, 1921 |
Lieutenant General | Serhiy Dyadyusha (temporary) | February 8, 1921 | March 24, 1921 |
Lieutenant General | Mykhailo Pavlenko (temporary) | March 24, 1921 | May 11, 1921 |
Major General | Marko Bezruchko (temporary) | May 23, 1921 | August 5, 1921 |
Major General | Viktor Pavlenko (temporary) | August 5, 1921 | November 15, 1921 |
Lieutenant General | Petro Yeroshevych (temporary) | November 3, 1921 | November 14, 1921 |
Major General | Andriy Vovk (temporary) | November 14, 1921 | May 22, 1922 |
Colonel General | Mykola Yunakiv | May 22, 1922 | 1927 |
Oleksandr Udovychenko |
Soviet ministers
Ministers of Western Ukraine
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Ukraine's new defence minister promises Crimea victory, BBC News (3 July 2014)
Heletei appointed Ukrainian defense minister, Interfax-Ukraine (3 July 2014) - ↑ (Ukrainian) Verkhovna Rada Resolution № 1473-XII "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 540/1992 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) "Commanders of Ministry of Defence, General Staff, and Armed Forces of Ukraine (1991-2009)" (PDF), Army of Ukraine ("Військо України"), 114 (12): 4, retrieved February 19, 2011
- 1 2 (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 418/1993 "Regarding acting Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 434/1993 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 567/1993 "Regarding promotion of V. Radetskyi"
- 1 2 (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 477/1994 "Regarding acting Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- 1 2 (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 579/1994 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- 1 2 (Ukrainian) "Commanders of Ministry of Defence, General Staff, and Armed Forces of Ukraine (1991-2009)" (PDF), Army of Ukraine ("Військо України"), 114 (12): 5, retrieved February 19, 2011
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 533/1995 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 520/1996 "Dismissal of V. Shmarov from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 528/1996 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 697/1997 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 1652/1999 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 370/2001 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 359/2001 "Dismissal of O. Kuzmuk from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 1012/2001 "Dismissal of O. Kuzmuk from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 1162/1996 "Regarding promotion of O. Kuzmuk"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 922/1998 "Regarding promotion of O. Kuzmuk"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 1070/2001 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 1102/2002 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- 1 2 (Ukrainian) "Commanders of Ministry of Defence, General Staff, and Armed Forces of Ukraine (1991-2009)" (PDF), Army of Ukraine ("Військо України"), 114 (12): 6, retrieved February 19, 2011
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 550/2003 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 1114/2004 "Dismissal of Y. Marchuk from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 1115/2004 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 133/2005 "Dismissal of O. Kuzmuk from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 154/2005 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- 1 2 (Ukrainian) "Commanders of Ministry of Defence, General Staff, and Armed Forces of Ukraine (1991-2009)" (PDF), Army of Ukraine ("Військо України"), 114 (12): 7, retrieved February 19, 2011
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Order of President of Ukraine № 1399/2005 "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Verkhovna Rada Resolution № 10-VI "Regarding forming of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Verkhovna Rada Resolution № 1477-VI "Dismissal of Y. Yekhanurov from Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Verkhovna Rada Resolution № 1970-VI "Regarding Minister of Defence of Ukraine"
- ↑ Yanukovych replaces defense minister, Kyiv Post (8 February 2012)
Yanukovych replaces defense minister, Kyiv Post (8 February 2012) - ↑ President of Ukraine has appointed new staff of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, UNIAN (24 December 2012)
- ↑ Tynchenko, Ya. Conflict between the Central Council and the Soviet People's Commissariat. First Ukrainian-Bolshevik War (December 1917 - March 1918). Kiev: "Krypiakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies", 1996.