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 11 February 1965 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.[1] Previously he was the commander of the Internal Troops of Ukraine and National Guard of Ukraine.[2] Poltorak's rank was General 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 president Volodymyr Zelensky on 20 May 2019.[5]
Poltorak was born on 11 February 1965 in the village Vesela Dolyna (located in the Bolhrad Raion, Odesa Oblast).[2] He has served in the military since August 1983.[6] Poltorak is a graduate from Ordzhonikidzevsky highest military command college of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR.[6]
Poltorak has a Ph.D.[2] 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."[6]
In March 2002 Poltorak was appointed head of the Academy of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kharkiv.[6][7]
On 28 February 2014 acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov appointed Poltorak commander of the Internal Troops of Ukraine.[6]
When the National Guard of Ukraine was reestablished on 13 March 2014, Poltorak became its first commander on 15 April 2014.[8][2]
On 14 October 2014, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada approved Poltorak's appointment as Ukraine's Minister of Defence.[9][10][11] , replacing Valeriy Heletey, who was appointed head of the State Security Administration after President Petro Poroshenko accepted his resignation.[12]
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 president Volodymyr Zelensky on 20 May 2019.[5] His official tenure as Defence Minister ended on 29 August 2019 when Andriy 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.[13] His wife is a captain at Poltorak former posting, the Academy of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kharkiv.[13]
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