| 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 59) Vesela Dolyna, Odesa Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| 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 the Minister of Defence of Ukraine from 14 October 2014 until 29 August 2019. Previously he was the commander of the Internal Troops of Ukraine and National Guard of Ukraine. Poltorak's rank was General of the army of Ukraine. From 1 January 2019, Poltorak remained the country's defense minister as a civilian, after resigning from military service in October 2018. Poltorak resigned at the request of newly inaugurated president Volodymyr Zelensky on 20 May 2019.
Biography
Poltorak was born on 11 February 1965 in the village Vesela Dolyna (located in the Bolhrad Raion, Odesa Oblast). He has served in the military since August 1983. Poltorak is a graduate from Ordzhonikidzevsky highest military command college of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR.
Poltorak has a Ph.D. In 2003 he successfully defended his thesis on "Pedagogical conditions of the skills of the commander unit in the future officers of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine."
In March 2002 Poltorak was appointed head of the Academy of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kharkiv.
On 28 February 2014 acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov appointed Poltorak commander of the Internal Troops of Ukraine.
When the National Guard of Ukraine was reestablished on 13 March 2014, Poltorak became its first commander on 15 April 2014.
On 14 October 2014, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada approved Poltorak's appointment as Ukraine's Minister of Defence. , replacing Valeriy Heletey, who was appointed head of the State Security Administration after President Petro Poroshenko accepted his resignation.
President Poroshenko accepted Poltorak's resignation from military service on 13 October 2018. Poltorak stayed on as Minister of Defence.
Poltorak resigned at the request of newly inaugurated president Volodymyr Zelensky on 20 May 2019. His official tenure as Defence Minister ended on 29 August 2019 when Andriy Zahorodniuk was appointed his successor.
Family and personal life
Poltorak is married to Inna (who is two years younger than him) and has an adult son called Ihor. His wife is a captain at Poltorak former posting, the Academy of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kharkiv.
Awards and decorations
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References
- ^ "Квота Зеленського: Рада призначила міністра оборони".
- ^ Turchynov proposes parliament appoint Poltorak as National Guard commander, Interfax-Ukraine (19 March 2014)
- "Про присвоєння військових звань".
- ^ Poltorak quits military service, continues to lead Defense ministry as civilian – Poroshenko, UNIAN (13 October 2018)
Poltorak quits military service to continue leading Ukrainian Defense Ministry as civilian, Interfax-Ukraine (13 October 2018) - ^ (in Ukrainian) Turchynov appointed a new commander of the Internal Troops Archived 2014-04-16 at the Wayback Machine, Espreso TV (28 February 2014)
- (in Russian) Former head of the Kharkov Academy of Internal Troops became the commander of the National Guard, sq.com.ua (15 April 2014)
- Parliament appoints Poltorak as commander of National Guard of Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine (15 April 2014)
- "Poltorak becomes Defense Minister". ukrinform.ua. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
- "Rada okays Poltorak's appointment as Ukrainian defense minister". Interfax-Ukraine. No. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
- "Rada approves Poltorak as defense chief". unian.info. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
- "Ukrainian Ex-Defense Minister Appointed Head of State Protection Service". RIA Novosti. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
- ^ (in Russian) Poltorak's wife is the captain of the militia, Vesti (15 October 2014)
- ^ (in Ukrainian) Biography on the official website of Kharkiv
- (in Russian) Small biography, LB.ua (10 October 2016)
External links
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded bypost of Commander of the Internal Troops | Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine 2014 |
Succeeded byOleksandr Kryvenkoas acting |
| Preceded bySerhiy Yarovyi | Commander of the Internal Troops of Ukraine 2014 |
Succeeded bypost of Commander of the National Guard |
| Educational offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chief of the Internal Troops Academy 2002–2014 |
Succeeded byVolodymyr Penkov |
- About amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine. Law of Ukraine. 13 March 2014
- 1965 births
- People from Bolhrad Raion
- Living people
- Generals of the Army (Ukraine)
- Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine alumni
- Ministers of defense of Ukraine
- Heads of universities and colleges in Ukraine
- Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class
- People of the National Guard of Ukraine
- Ukrainian military personnel of the war in Donbas
- Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 1st class
- Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 2nd class