Stepan Poltorak | |
|---|---|
Степан Полторак | |
 | |
| 14th Minister of Defence of Ukraine | |
| In office 14 October 2014 – 29 August 2019 | |
| President | Petro Poroshenko Volodymyr Zelensky |
| Preceded by | Valeriy Heletey |
| Succeeded by | Andriy Zahorodniuk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Stepan Tymofiyovych Poltorak (1965-02-11)11 February 1965 (age 60) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union (1983–1991) Ukraine (1992–2018) |
| Branch/service | Soviet Army Ukrainian Ground Forces |
| Years of service | 1983–2018 |
| Rank | General of the army of Ukraine |
| Commands |  National Academy of Internal Troops (2002–2014)Internal Troops/National Guard (2014) |
Stepan Tymofiyovych Poltorak (Ukrainian:Степан Тимофійович Полторак) is a Ukrainian general who served as theMinister of Defence of Ukraine from 14 October 2014 until 29 August 2019.[1] Previously he was the commander of theInternal Troops of Ukraine andNational Guard of Ukraine.[2] Poltorak's rank wasGeneral of the army of Ukraine.[3] From 1 January 2019, Poltorak remained the country's defense minister as a civilian, after resigning from military service in October 2018.[4] Poltorak resigned at the request of newly inaugurated presidentVolodymyr Zelensky on 20 May 2019.[citation needed]
Poltorak was born on 11 February 1965 in the villageVesela Dolyna (located in theBolhrad Raion,Odesa Oblast).[2] He has served in the military since August 1983.[5] Poltorak is a graduate from Ordzhonikidzevsky highest military command college of theMinistry of Internal Affairs of the USSR.[5]
Poltorak has aPh.D.[2] In 2003 he successfully defended his thesis on "Pedagogical conditions of the skills of the commander unit in the future officers of theInterior Ministry of Ukraine."[5]
In March 2002 Poltorak was appointed head of the Academy of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine inKharkiv.[5][6]
On 28 February 2014 actingPresident of UkraineOleksandr Turchynov appointed Poltorak commander of theInternal Troops of Ukraine.[5]
When theNational Guard of Ukraine wasreestablished on 13 March 2014, Poltorak became its first commander on 15 April 2014.[7][2]
On 14 October 2014, Ukraine'sVerkhovna Rada approved Poltorak's appointment asUkraine's Minister of Defence.[8][9][10], replacingValeriy Heletey, who was appointed head of the State Security Administration after PresidentPetro Poroshenko accepted his resignation.[11]
President Poroshenko accepted Poltorak's resignation from military service on 13 October 2018.[4] Poltorak stayed on as Minister of Defence.[4]
Poltorak resigned at the request of newly inaugurated presidentVolodymyr Zelensky on 20 May 2019.[citation needed] His official tenure as Defence Minister ended on 29 August 2019 whenAndriy Zahorodniuk was appointed his successor.[1]
Poltorak is married to Inna (who is two years younger than him) and has an adult son called Ihor.[12] His wife is a captain at Poltorak former posting, the Academy of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kharkiv.[12]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by post of Commander of the Internal Troops | Commander of theNational Guard of Ukraine 2014 | Succeeded byas acting |
| Preceded by | Commander of theInternal Troops of Ukraine 2014 | Succeeded by post of Commander of the National Guard[1] |
| Educational offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chief of the Internal Troops Academy 2002–2014 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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