According to Ukrinform, Zhumadilov announced this on Facebook.

“The decision to leave the Agency is my own personal and well-considered choice. I am leaving the position for personal reasons. No one fired me or removed me from office,” he noted.

Zhumadilov noted that at the time of his appointment in August 2023, the defense procurement system was fragmented among various departments of the Ministry of Defense, and a significant portion of procurement and supply management processes remained paper-based.

According to him, over the past three years, the defense procurement sector has transitioned to standardized processes, program management, systematic engagement with the market, risk management, compliance, and internal controls.

He also reported that the number of suppliers for non-lethal procurement has doubled, and the number of verified suppliers for lethal equipment has exceeded 2,000 companies.

In addition, in 2025, Ukraine launched competitive bidding for the procurement of weapons and military equipment for the first time as a standard procurement practice. The number of Ukrainian military equipment manufacturers with which the Agency works has quadrupled, and the share of Ukrainian manufacturers in procurements increased from 44% in 2024 to 87% in 2026.

Separately, Zhumadilov highlighted the launch of the DOT-Chain Defence online weapons store, through which service members can select UAVs, ground-based robotic systems, electronic warfare (EW) and electronic countermeasures (ECM) equipment, and other assets in accordance with their combat missions.

According to him, over 1.2 million items have already been delivered through DOT-Chain Defence to 486 units of the Defense Forces. The system includes 252 suppliers, and the average delivery time is about nine days, with a record of one day.

Additionally, according to Zhumadilov, over 90% of weapons deliveries are currently managed through the DOT-Chain Arsenal digital ecosystem. He added that DOT-Chain Food was launched in 2024, which has accelerated the food supply cycle fourfold.

“Not everything is complete. There are solutions that still need to be implemented, things that need to be scaled up, and concepts awaiting the next step,” Zhumadilov emphasized.

He expressed his conviction that the system they have created will continue to improve results regardless of who heads the Agency, and thanked the team at the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrainian manufacturers, and international partners for their collaboration.

As previously reported, on August 17, Tetiana Nikolaienko, deputy chair of the Public Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense, confirmed in an interview with Radio NV that Arsen Zhumadilov, head of the Defense Procurement Agency, intends to resign.

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On August 13, Nikolaenko stated on her Facebook page that Zhumadilov was working out his final weeks and would then resign.

On March 6, 2025, Zhumadilov was dismissed from his position as CEO of the State Logistics Operator and appointed head of the Defense Procurement Agency. This followed a scandal related to then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov’s decision not to renew the contract of the agency’s previous director, Marina Bezrukova.

Effective January 1, 2026, the DPA and the DOT were merged into a single procurement agency. Zhumadilov became its head.

Photo: Ministry of Defense