Defense Industry Leader Following the Explosions in Vyshneve: Who Is “Ukroboronprom” Looking For?
2 September 11:53
The Supervisory Board of JSC “Ukrainian Defense Industry” has announced an open competition for the position of CEO. The search began on September 1—following the resignation of Herman Smetanin and personnel decisions made in the wake of the explosions in Vyshneve. This is stated in an official announcement by Ukroboronprom, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
The selection of candidates and their preliminary evaluation will be carried out by the Ukrainian office of the international consulting firm Amrop Partnership.
Amrop specializes in the search for and evaluation of senior executives. The company was engaged following an open procurement process. The search for potential candidates began on September 1, 2026.
The announcement of the competition brings to an end a period of personnel uncertainty that arose following the resignation of the previous head of the state defense holding company.
Who is currently leading “Ukroboronprom”
Herman Smetanin stepped down as CEO on July 14, 2026.
He did not publicly explain the reasons for his decision.
Following Smetanin’s resignation, the supervisory board appointed Serhiy Boev to serve as acting CEO.
He will lead the company until a new head is appointed or the supervisory board makes a different decision.
The official announcement regarding the start of the competition does not yet include a complete list of requirements for candidates, the deadline for submitting applications, or an estimated timeline for selecting the winner.
How the New CEO Will Be Selected
Amrop Ukraine will search for candidates and conduct their preliminary evaluation. This means that the consulting firm may review the candidates’ professional experience, managerial competencies, and compliance with the established criteria.
According to the published information, the competition involves:
- searching for potential candidates;
- receiving and processing applications;
- preliminary evaluation of candidates;
- compiling a list of the strongest candidates;
- further review of the candidates by the supervisory board.
At the same time, Ukroboronprom has yet to specify how long the competition will last, whether a shortlist of candidates will be made public, and when the state defense holding company will appoint a permanent CEO.
How the personnel changes are linked to the explosions in Vyshneve
On July 6, Russian troops launched a massive attack on the Kyiv region. A secondary explosion occurred in Vyshneve following the strike.
More than 600 people had to be evacuated. According to official reports, nine people were killed and dozens were injured.
The explosions and debris damaged 280 residential buildings:
- 253 single-family homes;
- 27 apartment buildings.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that officials involved in the violations must be held accountable. According to him, the weapons depots were effectively located in the middle of residential areas, even though such proximity is prohibited by safety regulations.
Following the tragedy, Ukroboronprom dismissed the heads of two state-owned enterprises due to violations of ammunition storage regulations.
Eight days later, Smetanin stepped down as CEO. However, neither he nor the supervisory board officially cited the explosions as the reason for his resignation.
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