New leadership for the defense giant
Ukroboronprom appointed Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk to lead the state-owned defense conglomerate on November 3, 2026. The company selected Havryliuk through an open competition conducted by the Ukrainian office of Amrop Partnership, an executive search and leadership advisory network. Havryliuk previously served as first deputy defense minister in charge of procurement, but he resigned on April 11, 2025, following a scandal regarding how the ministry handled defense procurement after his reappointment on July 25, 2025, by Denys Shmyhal. This appointment follows his dismissal on May 20, 2026, by then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Havryliuk’s professional military career spanned from 1992 until his retirement in 2020. During that time, he headed the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Logistics Forces and served as deputy chief of the General Staff from 2018 to 2020. He returned to active military service in October 2023 after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. He was appointed deputy defense minister in October 2023 and later served as first deputy defense minister in May 2024. The conglomerate expects his military and management experience and his understanding of Ukraine’s military needs to expand production capacity and strengthen the military-industrial complex.
Explosions and empty seats
The leadership vacancy at Ukroboronprom followed the July 14 departure of Herman Smetanin, who stepped down as head of the company following a major controversy. A deadly explosion occurred at an ammunition depot in the Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve on July 6 during a Russian attack. The incident prompted an investigation into alleged violations of ammunition storage regulations and led to the dismissal of two senior officials. Smetanin left the role amidst a government reshuffle that included the July 14 dismissal of Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko by Parliament. Smetanin did not specify his personal reasons for leaving the position. Ukroboronprom, also known as the Ukrainian Defense Industry, manages around 100 enterprises involved in the development and production of weapons, equipment, ammunition, and defense systems, including missiles, drones, and armored vehicles. The conglomerate produces many different defense systems for the Ukrainian state. This leadership change is a necessary correction for a company that failed to prevent a deadly depot explosion and suffered procurement scandals.
