The Cabinet of Ministers appointed a new general director of Ukroboronprom

The Cabinet of Ministers appointed a new general director of the Ukroboronprom state concern. He will be 31-year-old Herman Smetanin.

Smetanin has been appointed as the new general director of Ukroboronprom, announced the Minister of Strategic Industry, Oleksandr Kamyshin.

Herman Smetanin (31 years old) – manager of the defense-industrial complex, general director of the state-owned enterprise “Zavod named after Malysheva” (from April 2023). Former director of the Kharkiv Armored Plant (2021-2023).

According to Kamyshin, the new general director faces three main tasks:

• increase the production of ammunition and military equipment;

• build an effective anti-corruption infrastructure in the company;

• transform “Ukroboronprom”.

“I promise to support difficult but important decisions and help in the transformation of the largest defense enterprise,” Kamyshin added.

It will be recalled that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, dismissed Yuriy Gusev from the position of General Director of Ukroboronprom. This is stated in the President’s decree of June 27.

According to “Economic Truth” sources, Gusev was dismissed from his post due to the failure of the weapons production program. Informants claim that the 31-year-old director of the Kharkiv Plant named after Gusev will be appointed to replace Gusev. Malysheva Hermana Smetanin.

In March 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers  established the joint-stock company “Ukrainian Defense Industry”, 100% of whose shares belong to the state, through the transformation of the State Concern “Ukroboronprom”.

The Statute of JSC “Ukrainian Defense Industry” and Regulations on the Supervisory Board of JSC “Ukrainian Defense Industry” were also approved. The authorized capital of the company is UAH 237 million and is formed by the property of Ukroboronprom.

In 2014-2016, Yuriy Gusev (43 years old) worked in the Ministry of Defense, then as an adviser to the Minister of Infrastructure. In 2019-2020, he was the head of the Kherson Regional State Administration.

Gusev was appointed general director of DK “Ukroboronprom” by the Decree of the President of Ukraine on December 3, 2020.