The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine explained the appointment of Kyril Tymoshenko to the post of communications adviser, noting that no one had agreed to take this position before his arrival. This was reported by the Minister of Defense Rustem Umyerov interview LB.ua.
Umyerov noted that the main goal was to ensure effective communications of the Defense Forces of Ukraine based on the “one voice” principle. Accordingly, an active search for a specialist for the position of media and communications adviser continued, but many candidates refused. That is why the choice stopped on Tymoshenko, who was recommended as a qualified specialist.
“Colleagues said that there is a cool specialist. I asked the anti-corruption officers if he is a professional. They said: yes. Are there any questions for him? Did I know that I would be criticized for this decision? Yes. I focused on the goal that my country needs, not to me personally”Umerov assured.
The Minister of Defense also mentioned that international partners expressed concern about Tymoshenko’s appointment. Umerov said that he had discussed it with diplomats and added that he had turned to Tymoshenko himself with a request to consult with lawyers and check whether he has any claims against him from law enforcement or anti-corruption agencies.
“When I hired him, he said that NAZK had no questions for him”, – said the Minister of Defense.
The mass media reported that since March 1, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, known for the “Great Construction” project, headed the direction of media and communications at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. However, during his work in the Office of the President, he repeatedly found himself at the center of scandals. In particular, it was Tymoshenko who became the source of Andrii Bohdan’s fake “application for dismissal”, which was distributed in the media. After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, journalists discovered that Tymoshenko was using a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, which was given to the US to evacuate civilians from war zones. Later NABU reported that the car was used on legal grounds. In December 2022, journalists spotted Tymoshenko driving someone else’s Porsche Taycan, which also caused an uproar in society.
