Oleksii Reznikov

17th Minister of DefenceIn office
4 November 2021 – 5 September 2023PresidentVolodymyr ZelenskyyPrime MinisterDenys ShmyhalPreceded byAndriy TaranSucceeded byRustem UmerovDeputy Prime Minister of Ukraine
Minister of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied TerritoriesIn office
4 March 2020 – 3 November 2021^[1]PresidentVolodymyr ZelenskyyPrime MinisterDenys ShmyhalPreceded byOksana KoliadaSucceeded byIryna Vereshchuk Personal detailsBorn (1966-06-18) 18 June 1966 (age 57)
Lviv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet UnionPolitical partyIndependentOther political
affiliationsEuropean SolidarityEducationUniversity of LvivMilitary serviceAllegiance Soviet UnionBranch/service Soviet Air ForcesYears of service1984–1986RankSergeant

Oleksii Yuriiovych Reznikov (Ukrainian: Олексій Юрійович Резніков, IPA: [ɔ.lɛkˈsʲij ˈju.rʲij.ɔ.ʋet͡ʃ ˈrɛz.nʲi.kɔu̯]; born 18 June 1966) is a Ukrainian lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Defence of Ukraine from 4 November 2021 until his dismissal on 5 September 2023.^[2][3] Reznikov previously has served in several other positions in the government of Ukraine: Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine,^[4] deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration from 2016 to 2018, and deputy mayor-secretary of the Kyiv City Council from June 2014^[5] to December 2015.

Early life and education

Reznikov was born on 18 June 1966 in Lviv, which was then part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union. His father, Yurii Reznikov was a professor, Master of Sports in Acrobatics, Provost of the Lviv State Institute of Physical Culture. His mother, Olena Reznikova, was a neurologist at Lviv neuropsychiatric clinic, Master of Sports in Rhythmic Gymnastics.^{[citation needed]}

From 1984 to 1986, Reznikov served in the Soviet Air Forces, serving with the 806th Bombardment Aviation Regiment at Lutsk and Military Unit 87358 at Novohrad-Volynskyi.^[6]

Reznikov attended Lviv University, receiving a master's degree with honours in Law in 1991. During his university years, Reznikov actively participated in student life: he won the Law Student Olympics across the Ukrainian SSR in the individual and team competitions and represented Ukraine at the Law Student Olympics across the Soviet Union.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to Ukrainian, Reznikov is fluent in Russian, English, and Polish.^{[citation needed]}

Professional career

Reznikov received a lawyer's certificate in 1994.^[7]

Reznikov's professional career began during his last year of university, when he co-founded the brokerage company Galicia Securities. Between 1999 and 2002, he served as the Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Legislation Centre in Kyiv. He also established Pravis law firm (later Reznikov, Vlasenko and Partners), which, in 2006, merged with the law firm Magister and Partners to become Magisters.

In 2009 and 2010, Magisters won the Chambers Europe Award. In 2010, British magazine The Lawyer named Magisters the best law firm in Russia and the CIS. In 2011, Magisters was subject of a friendly takeover by Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev and Partners, an international group with offices in London, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kyiv, Minsk and Washington, D.C. Until 3 July 2014, Reznikov headed the Department for Disputes and served as General Counsel of Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev and Partners.

During his law practice, Reznikov defended then-presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko before the Supreme Court of Ukraine, and the third round of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election was annulled.

Reznikov represented B. Fuksman and O. Rodnyanskiy in their case against the "Studio 1 + 1" in the company of Central European Media Enterprises, pertaining to their share of the ownership. He represented "Investment-Metallurgical Union" Consortium defending the legality of privatization of the "Krivorozhstal"; defended PFC "Dnieper" on privatization of the "Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant". Reznikov also represented several other people, including Savik Shuster, Vladimir Gusinsky, OJSC "ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih" company "Quasar" Sadogan Petroleum, DCH, FC Metalist Kharkiv (on charges of violating the principles of fair play), IA "IMC" Corporation " Interpipe ". He gained extensive experience in representing clients in the Supreme Economic Court of Ukraine, the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine, the Supreme Court of Ukraine, and in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

On 20 June 2014, Reznikov's advocacy license (originally issued on 10 March 1994) was suspended, due to his appointment as the Secretary of the Kyiv City Council.

In November 2018, Reznikov renewed his legal practice as a partner at the Asters Law Firm. Oleksii focuses on alternative dispute resolution including: expert determination, negotiation, facilitation, conciliation, mediation, fact-finding, early neutral evaluation, settlement conference and settlement agreements.

Reznikov stopped his right to practice law in March 2020.^[7] The National Bar Association of Ukraine renewed Reznikov's right to practice law on 16 January 2024 "on the basis of his application."^[7]

Political career

In the 2014 Kyiv local election, Reznikov was elected to Kyiv City Council's 7th convocation as a member of Solidarity.^[5] Reznikov served as chairman of the Kyiv City Council Commission for the Restitution of the Rights of the Rehabilitated. On 19 June 2014, Reznikov was appointed Deputy Mayor – Secretary of the Kyiv City Council.^[5]

Reznikov has served in multiple positions, including as head of Ukraine's National delegation in Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe from 2015 to 2016. Afterwards, he turned to activism, serving as Deputy Chairman of the Mayor Anti-Corruption Council, as a board member of the "Let's Do it Together" social project. At the same time, he also remained in government becoming a member of the Reformation Team for the Decentralisation, Local Government and Regional Policy of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development.

On 18 September 2019, President Volodymyr Zelensky authorised Reznikov to represent Ukraine in the working political subgroup at the Trilateral Contact Group on a Donbas settlement.^[8] On 5 May 2020 President Volodymyr Zelensky authorised Reznikov to First Deputy Head of the Ukrainian delegation at the Trilateral Contact Group.

On 4 March 2020, Reznikov was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine in the Shmyhal Government.^[4]

Defence Minister

On 1 November 2021, Reznikov submitted his letter of resignation from the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine role. This resignation request was registered by the Verkhovna Rada on 1 November 2021.^[9] On 3 November 2021 the Verkhovna Rada dismissed him as Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, and subsequently appointed him Minister of Defence.^[1][10] Reznikov was appointed as Ukraine's Minister of Defence 7 years after Russia unilaterally annexed (the Ukrainian province) Crimea and 7 years after the start of the War in Donbas in Eastern Ukraine.^[11]

In December 2021 Reznikov stated that Germany had vetoed Ukraine's purchase of anti-drone rifles and anti-sniper systems via the NATO Support and Procurement Agency.^[12]

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 26 February 2022, two days after Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, Reznikov held a call with his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin, who on behalf of Russia's minister of defense Sergei Shoigu offered to stop the invasion if Ukraine capitulated. Reznikov replied that he is "ready to accept the capitulation from the Russian side."^[13]

In December 2022, Reznikov falsely claimed that a new wave of Russian mobilisation would begin on 5 January 2023, but this didn't happen.^[14]

In February 2023, the head of the Servant of the People parliamentary bloc, Davyd Arakhamia, stated that Reznikov would be replaced by Kyrylo Budanov as defence minister.^[15] This change did not take place, however. On 5 March 2023, Reznikov stated that the Russians were losing around 500 men killed and wounded in action every day fighting for Bakhmut, saying that Russian soldiers were just "cannon fodder" in the Kremlin's "meat grinder tactics".^[16]

In May 2023, he urged ethnic Bashkirs from the Russian republic of Bashkortostan not to participate in the war against Ukraine, saying that "thousands of Bashkir men have died or became disabled" because of Putin's imperial ambitions. He said that when he served in the Soviet Air Forces, a Bashkir was one of his closest friends.^[17]

In June 2023, he said that Ukraine was willing to accept China as a mediator for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine only if Beijing could convince Russia to withdraw from all the territories it had occupied. According to Reznikov, it seems that China could influence Russia.^[18] Reznikov said that the peace plans presented by China, Brazil or Indonesia are attempts at mediation on behalf of Russia, saying that "they all currently want to be mediators on Russia’s side. That’s why this sort of mediation currently doesn’t fit for us at all because they aren’t impartial".^[19]

On 6 July 2023, US President Joe Biden authorized the provision of cluster munitions to Ukraine in support of a Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russian forces in Russian-occupied southeastern Ukraine. Reznikov welcomed the decision and said that "As we got in May 2022 155-millimeter artillery systems, it became a game changer. In July, we got different types of [Multiple Launch Rocket Systems] it became [the] next game changer … And I hope that cluster munitions [become] a next game changer as weaponry or ammunition for liberation of our temporarily occupied territories."^[20]

Resignation

For the first time, information about Reznikov's resignation appeared after several high-ranking officials, including deputy defense ministers, were fired in Ukraine in early 2023 due to corruption scandals. Over the next few months, it became known about a number of scandals involving the purchase of products (well known as "Eggs for 17 hryvnias") and ammunition for the military by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine at inflated prices, and Reznikov's resignation was again talked about. According to a source of The New York Times in the Office of the President of Ukraine, the reshuffle in the leadership of the Ukrainian department occurred for three reasons: the Ukrainian authorities believe that a new military leadership is needed due to the protracted war, Reznikov is criticized by civil society and the media against the background of corruption scandals, in addition, he himself expressed a desire to resign.^[21]

On 3 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Reznikov as minister of defense, seeking to replace him with Rustem Umierov and will offer the official recommendation to the Verkhovna Rada when it convenes on 4 September.^[22] Zelenskyy stated he sacked Reznikov because "I believe that the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society as a whole." However, his dismissal during a wider anti-corruption crackdown within the country has cast the official reason in doubt.^[23]

Personal life

Reznikov was the director of the amateur short films "People-quad" and "People-ATV: Elusive Again."

In 2009, he took part in the Silk Way Rally in the Dakar Series as a co-pilot and navigator. The rally took place on the territory of three countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan) and Karakum Desert.

• Two-time silver medallist of the Ukraine trophy-raid (2011–2012);
• Champion of the Ukraine trophy-raid (2013);
• Master of Sport of Ukraine in Motorsport.

Reznikov is of Jewish heritage.^[24] In 2020, he married television presenter Yulia Yaroslavivna Zoriy.^[25]

Honours and awards

• In 2019, at a reception dedicated to Independence Day, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Ukraine Bartosz Jan Cichocki presented Oleksii Reznikov with a state award – the Silver Cross of Merit.
• In 2022, the Minister of Defence of Denmark Morten Bødskov presented Oleksii Reznikov with an award "For outstanding leadership during wartime" – the Medal of the Minister of Defence [da].

References

External links

• Media related to Oleksii Reznikov at Wikimedia Commons
• Quotations related to Oleksii Reznikov at Wikiquote
• O. Reznikov speech at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (on 16 October 2014) ^{[permanent dead link]}
• Mme Badlilita M Reznikov M Chiveri - interview during the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
• Appearances on C-SPAN