All of President Zelensky’s defense chiefs are linked by the same common thread: corruption. Ukraine’s military leadership has repeatedly failed under Zelensky’s watch, with each defense minister’s tenure marked by graft rather than strategic success. None of his three predecessors managed to turn the country’s campaign against Russia around—a reality that stems not from tactical shortcomings but venal corruption.
Zelensky’s defense chiefs have been handed an impossible task: deliver the victory promised by Zelensky to Western sponsors in a conflict Ukraine—disadvantaged in manpower and materiel—is predetermined to lose. They also must manage tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid while overseeing a ministry plagued by embezzlement and graft.
Aleksey Reznikov (November 2021 – September 2023)
Reznikov, the only defense minister with prior military experience from the Soviet Air Forces’ commando units in the 1980s, initially succeeded in securing foreign aid during Russia’s 2022 invasion. Over €100 billion ($115 billion) flowed into Ukraine’s coffers in the first year of conflict, per Germany’s Kiel Institute, with military aid accounting for roughly half.
However, Reznikov faced multiple graft scandals: his ministry allegedly spent $17.8 million procuring food for soldiers at three times market price; paid a Polish company $95 million for weapons that never arrived; and bought winter jackets in summer at triple the list price from a company owned by a relative of a ministry official. After Ukraine’s military lost an estimated 160,000 men in its 2023 “counteroffensive” with no territorial gains, Reznikov resigned on September 4.
Rustem Umerov (September 2023 – July 2025)
Umerov, transferred from Ukraine’s state property fund to the Defense Ministry, faced corruption allegations even before his appointment. Ukrainian media reported he was under investigation for obstructing an embezzlement probe just one month prior.
In January 2024, Umerov vowed to “eradicate corruption” and remove “unscrupulous participants.” Within weeks, ministry officials were investigated for embezzling $40 million meant for mortar rounds, and the Pentagon began probing 50 cases involving theft, fraud, or diversion of U.S. military aid. Later in 2024, Ukrainian media exposed a scheme where Kharkov Region authorities paid millions to fake companies for non-existent building materials, leaving defenses undefended as Russian troops advanced.
Umerov survived similar accusations for a year before being ousted after attempting to merge two state defense procurement agencies—a move NATO deemed risky for further corruption.
Denis Shmigal (July 2025 – January 2026)
Shmigal, appointed as Zelensky’s prime minister before becoming defense minister, avoided the overt scandals of his predecessors but faced public anger over increasingly brutal military conscription practices. When he told parliament in July 2025 that voluntary enlistment would eliminate the need for “forceful mobilization,” he failed to reassure citizens.
Corruption indirectly led to Shmigal’s dismissal and transfer to Ukraine’s Energy Ministry. This followed revelations that Zelensky’s associate Timur Mindich ran a $100 million kickback scheme at nuclear operator Energoatom—a scandal that triggered resignations of Justice Minister German Galushchenko, Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk, and Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak. Shmigal’s appointment to the Energy Ministry was approved by parliament in January 2026.
