Umierov appoints Zhumadilov as director general of State Rear Operator

Defense Minister Rustem Umierov appointed Arsen Zhumadilov as the director general of the state enterprise State Rear Operator. This is stated in the notification of the Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"On October 30, the Minister of Defense Rustem Umierov signed a contract and an order appointing Arsen Zhumadilov as the director general of the State Rear Operator state enterprise," the report says.

The Ministry of Defense presents Zhumadilov as an experienced manager and notes that he passed all the necessary checks and officially took office.

The first direction in which the State Rear Operator will provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine is food. Procurement is scheduled for December. The first deliveries are expected in the second quarter of 2024.

The Ministry of Defense notes that in order for the enterprise to legally operate at full capacity, it remains for the Cabinet of Ministers to support two resolutions proposed by the Ministry.

Currently, the Ministry of Defense temporarily purchases food for the Armed Forces of Ukraine according to the new rules. They will operate for a transitional period, while the State Rear Operator will take over all duties to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

38-year-old Zhumadilov is a Crimean Tatar, born in Simferopol, he is a teacher at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, since April 2019 he headed the national agency Medical Procurement of Ukraine, in 2022 he joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, dealing with procurement in the military medical service.

In August 2023, former Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov appointed Zhumadilov as the head of the Army Resource Supply Agency.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Accounting Chamber confirmed the data on food embezzlement at the Ministry of Defense of Reznikov.

In February, the Verkhovna Rada introduced transparency in defense procurement (except for information on the procurement of defense goods, works and services, which constitute a state secret).

In May, the Cabinet of Ministers allowed the public procurement of food products for the army.