Stepan Poltorak

Stepan Poltorak (Ukrainian: Степан Полторак) was 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]

Stepan Poltorak
Степан Тимофійович Полторак
14th Minister of Defence of Ukraine
In office
14 October 2014 – 29 August 2019
PresidentPetro Poroshenko
Volodymyr Zelensky
Preceded byValeriy Heletey
Succeeded byAndriy Zahorodniuk
Personal details
Born
Stepan Tymofiyovych Poltorak

(1965-02-11) 11 February 1965
Bolhrad Raion, Odessa Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Military service
Allegiance Soviet Union (1983–1991)
Ukraine (1992–2018)
Branch/service Soviet Army
Ukrainian Ground Forces
Years of service1983-2018
RankGeneral of the army of Ukraine
Commands National Academy of Internal Troops (2002–2014)
Internal Troops/National Guard (2014)

Biography
Poltorak shaking hands with veterans at the 2017 Kyiv Independence Day Parade.

Poltorak was born on 11 February 1965 in the village Vesela Dolyna (located in the Bolhrad Raion, Odessa 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]

Poltorak meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan at the NATO meeting of defense ministers, February 14, 2019

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.[13] His official tenure as Defence Minister ended on 29 August 2019 when Andriy Zahorodniuk was appointed his successor.[14]

Family and Personal Life

Poltorak is married to Inna (who is two years younger than him) and has an adult son called Ihor.[15] His wife is a captain at Poltorak former posting, the Academy of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kharkiv.[15]

Awards and decorations
Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 1st class[4]
Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 3rd class[16]
Medal "For Irreproachable Service"[16]
Defender of the Motherland Medal[16]
Medal of Zhukov[16]
Medal for Battle Merit[16]
Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"[16]
Medal "For Impeccable Service"[16]
Honorary citizen of Kharkiv[17]

References
  1. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2019/08/29/7224795/
  2. Turchynov proposes parliament appoint Poltorak as National Guard commander, Interfax-Ukraine (19 March 2014)
  3. http://zakon5.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/581/2015
  4. 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)
  5. https://112.international/ukraine-top-news/ukraines-defence-minister-poltorak-resigns-39870.html
  6. (in Ukrainian) Turchynov appointed a new commander of the Internal Troops Archived 2014-04-16 at the Wayback Machine, Espreso TV (28 February 2014)
  7. (in Russian) Former head of the Kharkov Academy of Internal Troops became the commander of the National Guard, sq.com.ua (15 April 2014)
  8. Parliament appoints Poltorak as commander of National Guard of Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine (15 April 2014)
  9. "Poltorak becomes Defense Minister". ukrinform.ua. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  10. "Rada okays Poltorak's appointment as Ukrainian defense minister". Interfax-Ukraine (14 October 2014). Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  11. "Rada approves Poltorak as defense chief". unian.info. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  12. "Ukrainian Ex-Defense Minister Appointed Head of State Protection Service". RIA Novosti. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  13. https://112.international/ukraine-top-news/ukraines-defence-minister-poltorak-resigns-39870.html
  14. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2019/08/29/7224795/
  15. (in Russian) Poltorak's wife is the captain of the militia, Vesti (15 October 2014)
  16. (in Ukrainian) Biography on the official website of Kharkiv
  17. (in Russian) Small biography, LB.ua (10 October 2016)
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
  1. About amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine. Law of Ukraine. 13 March 2014
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