The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is preparing a large-scale reform of the logistical support system, announcing a planned reorganization of the State Logistics Operator (SLO), which aims to merge it with the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA)
This is a step within the strategic modernization plan of the country's defense system, designed to improve efficiency and accelerate the provision of everything the army needs during active hostilities and in stabilizing the defense sector. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who recently made an official announcement of this initiative on his Telegram channel, reported the creation of a special commission responsible for the reorganization process. The head of this structure has been appointed as Arsen Zhumadilov, the Director of the Defense Procurement Agency. The newly formed commission will be tasked not only with uniting the two large entities into a single organization but also with improving management, eliminating duplication of functions, and speeding up the processes of supplying military units with all necessary resources. "Today, in order to scale up the ongoing reforms, I signed an order to create a reorganization commission for the State Logistics Operator. It will be headed by Arsen Zhumadilov, director of the Defense Procurement Agency. The commission will operate on the basis of the DPA," the minister stated in his message. According to Umerov, this reform is part of a comprehensive set of measures aimed at creating a modern, mobile, and highly efficient logistical support system for Ukraine. It is expected that by the end of the martial law, all processes will be coordinated and harmonized, and the organization will become more flexible and adaptable to new challenges. This will allow for the optimization of functions, the elimination of redundancies, and an increase in the speed of response of military structures in providing soldiers with everything they need. "We are aligning approaches, adapting legislation, and eventually implementing a new operational model. All of this is part of our huge plan to build a modern, effective army capable of confronting any challenges. And today, we are taking the first steps toward this ambitious goal," emphasized the defense minister. The head of the defense department also highlighted that the initiative to merge the SLO and DPA is a logical continuation of large-scale reforms in the field of defense procurement, which already show noticeable results. Since its launch in December 2023, the State Logistics Operator has managed to ensure transparency in procurement processes, generate significant budget savings of over 26 billion hryvnias, attract new suppliers, and implement a modern information and technical system called DOT-Chain, which has significantly increased transparency and speed in resource circulation. Such measures align with the government’s strategic goals of creating a modern, efficient, and mobile logistical support system capable of maintaining the country’s defense under the most difficult conditions. Importantly, the reform is planned to include not only technological upgrades but also fundamental changes in organizational structure, allowing for quicker response to new challenges of modern warfare and reducing bureaucratic burdens in procurement and supply processes. Participants in the defense sector and experts note that through this initiative, the Ministry of Defense demonstrates its commitment to radically modernizing the military logistics system, making it more transparent, faster, and focused on providing soldiers with resources in the most operational way. This is an important step toward building a new Ukrainian army — strong, modern, and ready to face any challenges of the present and future.