Lieutenant General Ivan Havriliuk, who resigned from his position as first deputy minister of defense of his own volition in April 2025 — without offering an official explanation — has returned to public service. However, in a different capacity: the Ministry of Energy press service announced his appointment as an advisor to First Vice Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on issues related to the defense-industrial complex. The position is on a voluntary basis.
Who is Havriliuk and why this name matters
By career profile, Havriliuk is first and foremost a logistics specialist and procurement officer in uniform. Before joining the Ministry of Defense, he served as an advisor to the commander of the Armed Forces Logistics Forces and headed the Main Directorate of Logistics, as well as serving as deputy chief of the General Staff. In October 2023, the Cabinet appointed him deputy minister of defense; in May 2024 — first deputy minister under Rustem Umerov.
This was precisely the period when the Ministry of Defense was embroiled in a scandal surrounding the State Enterprise "Defense Procurement Agency" and the dismissal of its head. According to Havriliuk himself, by late 2024 the issue had escalated into a media spectacle. According to Babel, due to the strain related to resolving problems at the Defense Procurement Agency, he was hospitalized in autumn 2024. In April 2025, he resigned without publicly stating the reason.
What does a defense-industrial complex advisor at the Energy Ministry mean
On the surface, energy and defense industry are different domains. However, the logic of the appointment becomes clearer when considering the context: Ukrainian defense-industrial enterprises are energy-intensive productions that require guaranteed electricity supply, capacity reserves, and prioritization amid generation deficits.
Additionally, the Ministry of Energy participates in coordinating the protection of critical energy infrastructure, which is a direct target of Russian strikes. An advisor with experience in military logistics and procurement here is not mere decoration, but a potential bridge between the needs of the defense-industrial complex and the capabilities of the energy system.
"Has enormous experience in the field of logistics and procurement"
Denys Shmyhal on Havriliuk — following his appointment as first deputy minister of defense in 2024
Shmyhal's new role as a factor
An important nuance: Shmyhal is not merely the energy minister, but first vice prime minister, meaning a person with coordination authority at the level of the entire government. An advisor to him on defense-industrial issues effectively receives a position at the intersection of two sectors — energy and defense-industrial — without formal civil servant status and without public accountability for the results.
Appointment on a voluntary basis does not entail either a government salary or mandatory disclosure of work results. This is standard practice, but it also means: the public will not learn what decisions this advisor will prepare or block.
- Experience: Armed Forces logistics, Ministry of Defense procurement, coordination with the defense-industrial complex
- Status: voluntary basis — without a budget position or formal reporting requirements
- Context: Shmyhal coordinates the government as first vice prime minister, not merely as energy minister
If the Ministry of Energy is indeed preparing a systemic mechanism to prioritize energy supply for defense-industrial enterprises, Havriliuk is a logical figure for such work. If not — his appearance in the ministry remains an unclear personnel pause between two appointments. The answer will emerge when (and if) the ministry announces specific initiatives involving him.
