Ukrainian government appoints new deputy defence ministers

The Ukrainian government has approved two new deputy defence ministers: Liubov Halan and Serhii Boiev. The announcement was made on Thursday by Taras Melnychuk, the government's representative in the Verkhovna Rada.

Halan will be responsible for developing and retaining human capital within the armed forces, including military recruitment, career development, and social protection. Boiev will oversee international cooperation, including relations with the EU and NATO, as well as coordinating arms supplies and defence industry projects.

Halan is a human rights advocate and volunteer. She previously worked at the Kyiv School of Economics, the Vostok SOS NGO, and served as a consultant to the World Health Organization. After Russia's full-scale invasion, she co-founded the charity Frontline.Care and the Pryntsyp Human Rights Centre.

Boiev has held senior positions at the Defence Ministry and worked at JPMorgan Chase, Credit Suisse, and other firms. In 2023, he became deputy minister for strategic industries for European integration, and in 2024 he joined the Defence Ministry.

The government also dismissed several other officials, including the first deputy minister and deputy minister of education, the deputy health minister for European integration, and the deputy head of the State Migration Service.

The Defence Ministry stated that the appointments aim to strengthen international cooperation and human capital development. Acting Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara, whom President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed to appoint as permanent minister, emphasized that Boiev and Halan will help improve the army's effectiveness.