Ukraine’s defense procurement agencies should be kept separate, NATO reaffirms

Two Ukrainian defense procurement agencies should continue to operate separately at least during wartime, the NATO representation to Ukraine said on Oct. 1, after Kyiv’s defense minister Rustem Umerov said they could be merged.

The NATO statement came days after Umerov said the ministry was planning to merge the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) and the State Rear Operator (DOT) into one agency.

The defense procurement sector was reshaped in December 2023, aiming to meet NATO standards. The DPA, first established in August 2022, was to focus solely on lethal aid. Meanwhile, the DOT was formed to purchase non-lethal aid such as food and clothing.

Ukraine and NATO approved a number of recommendations for the Strategic Defense Procurement Review (SDPR) at the Washington summit in July.

They said the two agencies should be kept separate “to perform their tasks and supporting their independence and anti-corruption policies,” including through the swift appointment of an independent supervisory board for each agency.

Despite this, in an interview with Lb.ua media outlet published on Sept. 24, Umerov said the unification of the agencies was in its final stages.

“Our strategy is to hold a strategic session and unite all the agencies into one, according to NATO standards. Some kind of Ukrainian Defense Forces Agency, which will have procurement, logistics, measurement contracts, efficiency, in accordance with NATO,” the minister he said.

But on Oct. 1 Umerov announced that separate supervisory boards are to be set up for the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) and the State Rear Operator (DOT) “in the near future.”

“Following Defense Minister Umerov’s statement today, we affirm our understanding that the two agencies will be kept separate, and welcome the stated intention to appoint the two supervisory boards very soon,” the NATO representation said.