Ukraine’s Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) has accused the country’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) of applying “direct pressure” in the appointment of key positions in the agency, claiming it as an attempt to “revert defence procurement to direct control”.
Earlier, on 23 January 2025, the agency’s Supervisory Board had concluded an agreement to extend the term of current director Maryna Bezrukova by a further 12 months.
In a scathing statement published on 26 January, the DPA said that only its Supervisory Board – created in December 2024 – had authority to extend or terminate the director’s contract, in accordance with Ukrainian legislation and the agency’s charter.
“The DPA Supervisory Board maintains legal authority, despite [Defense Minister Rustem Umerov] announcement about withdrawing two state representatives who demonstrated independent positions,” the DPA statement read.
“The premature announcement of a supposed new agency director represents direct pressure on the Supervisory Board and an attempt to replace independent corporate governance with direct control.”
Continuing, the DPA said the move represented an “unprecedented violation” of previous agreements with the Ukrainian MoD.
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By GlobalData“We regret that the agency’s commitment to public transparency about military supplies, within the limits of public information, is viewed by the minister as individual ‘PR’ rather than institutional obligation to citizens,” the DPA wrote.
The DPA added any “illegal interference” with independent supervisory bodies “undermines institutional capacity and risks negatively impacting both international support for Ukraine and stable military equipment supply to the front.”
What is the background to the DPA/MoD clash?
Earlier in January 2025, the DPA’s Supervisory Board said it was considering engaging the International Board of Auditors for NATO (IBAN) to conduct an independent audit of its operations, in a bid to promote “transparency” and align defence procurement with international standards.
“The findings and recommendations from this audit will form the foundation to establish a center of excellence for Ukraine’s military procurement, which represents another significant step toward Ukraine’s NATO membership,” the DPA said.
Further, the board submitted a recommendation to Umerov to extend the contract of Bezrukova by a further year, stating a need to “ensure stability and efficiency” of procurement during wartime conditions.
“The leadership of the Defense Procurement Agency has expressed full support for the Supervisory Board’s initiatives and confirmed their readiness to cooperate with international auditors to enhance the transparency and efficiency of processes,” the DPA added.
2024 saw breakout year for Ukrainian defence companies
Providing a breakdown of defence procurement highlight in 2024, the DPA recently revealed that the preceding 12 months saw weapons and equipment contracts worth $4.51bn (Hrv189bn) agreed, with $1.15bn scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2025, and the remainder set for longer-term delivery.
The DPA added it had reduced average procurement prices for 155mm artillery rounds by 15%, 152mm artillery rounds by 23%, and 125mm artillery rounds by 16%, during 2024. The agency holds 50 direct contracts with arms manufacturers across 13 countries, such as Rheinmetall and KNDS France, though many agreements remain confidential.
However, the DPA said 2024 also saw a significant shift to see Ukrainian manufacturers becoming the primary suppliers of weapons, accounting for over 60% of total contract value. According to the DPA, Ukrainian defence companies produce 90% of DPA contracted UAVs, 100% of drone ammunition, and 60% of mortar rounds.
Of the 236 defence equipment suppliers that the DPA has contracted, 155 entities are Ukrainian.
In terms of international imports, the DPA has also sought to engage the commercial market in areas such as drone procurement through the Prozorro online procurement system, which was used to acquire tens of thousands of Mavic drone from Chinese company DJI.
“Our team’s work has already transformed the defense procurement landscape in Ukraine,” wrote DPA director Maryna Bezrukova. “In 2025 we will again initiate numerous regulatory and legislative changes to simplify manufacturers’ operations and significantly accelerate weapons delivery to the front.”
