Former Defence Minister Kuzmuk was dismissed from his position as advisor to commander of Troops of Operational Command after scandal on internet
Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk, who appeared at an award ceremony for territorial defence forces, causing outrage online, was dismissed from his position as freelance advisor to the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Territorial Defence Forces on 7 December.
This was reported by the press centre of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to Censor.NET.
"Army General Oleksandr Kuzmuk was appointed as an external advisor to the commander of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the relevant order dated 14 October 2022.
According to today's decision by the commander of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kuzmuk has been dismissed from his position as an external advisor," the statement said.
What preceded this?
Earlier it was reported that former Defence Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk appeared at an award ceremony for territorial defence forces. As an advisor to the commander of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ihor Plakhyta, he presented departmental awards and valuable gifts to military units of the Territorial Defence Forces on his behalf.
Reference
From 1990 to 1995, Kuzmuk was chief of staff, deputy division commander, division commander, and army corps commander. In 1995, he headed the National Guard of Ukraine.
From 1996 to 2001, Kuzmuk served his first term as Minister of Defence of Ukraine. In 1998, he was promoted to the rank of general of the army. From 2002 to 2006, he was a member of the Ukrainian parliament and a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security and Defence. During the same period, from 2004 to 2005, he served as head of the defence ministry for a second time, while retaining his parliamentary seat.
Until 14 June 2006, he was an external advisor to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.
From 11 March 2010 to 24 February 2014, he was an unofficial adviser to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
According to media reports, an expert study found that during Oleksandr Kuzmuk's tenure as Minister of Defence, the country's defence capability declined. In 2018, the Kyiv Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, on behalf of the Verkhovna Rada, established that during Kuzmuk's tenure from 24 September 2004 to 3 February 2005, significant amounts of weapons were removed from the Ukrainian army: 248 portable anti-aircraft missile systems, 136 tanks, 781 infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers, 96 aircraft ,and 18 helicopters.
