Stepan Poltorak
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Stepan_Poltorak_portrait.jpg/200px-Stepan_Poltorak_portrait.jpg)
14 October 2014 – 29 August 2019
Volodymyr Zelensky
(1965-02-11) 11 February 1965 (age 59)
Vesela Dolyna, Odesa Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
![Soviet Union](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg.png)
![Ukraine](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Flag_of_Ukraine.svg/23px-Flag_of_Ukraine.svg.png)
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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]
Biography
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Independence_Day_military_parade_in_Kyiv_2017_40.jpg/220px-Independence_Day_military_parade_in_Kyiv_2017_40.jpg)
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]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Stepan_Poltorak_2019.jpg/220px-Stepan_Poltorak_2019.jpg)
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]
Family and personal life
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]
Awards and decorations
![]() | Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 1st class[4] |
![]() | Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 3rd class[14] |
Medal "For Irreproachable Service"[14] | |
![]() | Defender of the Motherland Medal[14] |
![]() | Medal of Zhukov[14] |
![]() | Medal for Battle Merit[14] |
![]() | Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"[14] |
![]() | Medal "For Impeccable Service"[14] |
![]() | Honorary citizen of Kharkiv[15] |
References
- ^ a b "Квота Зеленського: Рада призначила міністра оборони".
- ^ a b c d Turchynov proposes parliament appoint Poltorak as National Guard commander, Interfax-Ukraine (19 March 2014)
- ^ "Про присвоєння військових звань".
- ^ a b c d 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) - ^ a b "Ukraine's Defence Minister Poltorak resigns".
- ^ a b c d e (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.
- ^ a b (in Russian) Poltorak's wife is the captain of the militia, Vesti (15 October 2014)
- ^ a b c d e f g (in Ukrainian) Biography on the official website of Kharkiv
- ^ (in Russian) Small biography, LB.ua (10 October 2016)
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Biography on the official website of Kharkiv (in Ukrainian)
Military offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by post of Commander of the Internal Troops | Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine 2014 | Succeeded by Oleksandr Kryvenko as acting |
Preceded by Serhiy Yarovyi | Commander of the Internal 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 Volodymyr Penkov |
- v
- t
- e
- Vasyl Herasymenko (Ukrainian SSR)
- Kostyantyn Morozov
- Ivan Bizhan (acting)
- Vitaliy Radetsky
- Valeriy Shmarov
- Oleksandr Kuzmuk
- Volodymyr Shkidchenko
- Yevhen Marchuk
- Oleksandr Kuzmuk
- Anatoliy Hrytsenko
- Yuriy Yekhanurov
- Valeriy Ivaschenko (acting)
- Mykhailo Yezhel
- Dmytro Salamatin
- Pavlo Lebedyev
- Ihor Tenyukh (acting)
- Mykhailo Koval (acting)
- Valeriy Heletey
- Stepan Poltorak
- Andrii Zahorodniuk
- Andriy Taran
- Oleksii Reznikov
- Rustem Umierov
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/%D0%A8%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82_%D0%9C%D1%96%D0%BD%D1%96%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0_%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B8_%D0%A3%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%97%D0%BD%D0%B8.svg/89px-%D0%A8%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82_%D0%9C%D1%96%D0%BD%D1%96%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0_%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B8_%D0%A3%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%97%D0%BD%D0%B8.svg.png)
- List of ministers of defense (Ukraine)
- ^ About amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine. Law of Ukraine. 13 March 2014