Arsen Zhumadilov, head of the Lethal Defence Acquisition Agency (formerly the State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition, DOT), has announced his decision to step down. His last working day in the post will be Aug. 31, Zhumadilov wrote on his Facebook page.
"The decision to end my work at the Agency is my own, personal and considered one. I am leaving the post of my own accord. No one dismissed or removed me," he said.
He recalled that when he was appointed to the post in 2023, the current defense procurement system did not yet exist. Procurement was handled by various structures within the Defense Ministry, with responsibility scattered across them, while the military itself had little influence over what the state was buying for it.
"When the then-minister signed the order appointing me in August 2023, I set myself a three-year time horizon. First, we created the State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition. Then we transferred the approaches and tools that worked at DOT to the Lethal Defence Acquisition Agency. Later, we integrated the two institutions into a single system for supplying the army. We moved from manual management to standardized processes, program management, systematic work with the market, risk management, compliance and internal control," Zhumadilov said.
Over the years, the share of Ukrainian manufacturers in procurement grew from 44% in 2024 to 87% in 2026. The number of verified suppliers of lethal items reached more than 2,000 companies, both domestic and foreign. Key digital solutions included the rollout of the DOT-Chain system, which allowed military units to choose the equipment they need directly from manufacturers. Through the system, more than 1.2 million items have been delivered to 486 units of Ukraine’s defense forces, with 252 suppliers now working within it. The average delivery time is about nine days, with a record of one day.
Rear-area procurement was also overhauled. In 2024, the DOT-Chain Food system was launched, digitizing key food supply processes, from ordering to invoice processing. As a result, the supply cycle sped up fourfold, and the state gained data on what is being ordered, in what quantity and when.
In addition, a risk management system and compliance architecture were built.
"Over three years — zero confirmed corruption cases within the team," Zhumadilov noted.
Overall, the procurement resource for weapons and military equipment nearly tripled over the past year, while international financing increased 16-fold. At the same time, overdue receivables were reduced.
"Not everything is finished. There are decisions still to be implemented, things that need to be scaled up, and concepts awaiting their next step. What matters is that a system has been put in place that will keep working to improve results regardless of who leads it," Zhumadilov concluded.
