Stepan Tymofiyovych Poltorak () is a Ukrainian general who served as the Minister of Defence of Ukraine from 14 October 2014 until 29 August 2019. Previously he was the commander of the Internal Troops of Ukraine and National Guard of Ukraine.Turchynov proposes parliament appoint Poltorak as National Guard commander, Interfax-Ukraine (19 March 2014) Poltorak's rank was General of the army of Ukraine. From 1 January 2019, Poltorak remained the country's defense minister as a civilian, after resigning from military service in October 2018.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) Poltorak resigned at the request of newly inaugurated president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 20 May 2019.
Biography
Poltorak was born on 11 February 1965 in the village Vesela Dolyna (located in the Bolhrad Raion, Odesa Oblast). He has served in the military since August 1983. Poltorak is a graduate from Ordzhonikidzevsky highest military command college of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR.
Poltorak has a Ph.D. 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."
In March 2002 Poltorak was appointed head of the Academy of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kharkiv. Former head of the Kharkov Academy of Internal Troops became the commander of the National Guard, sq.com.ua (15 April 2014)
On 28 February 2014 acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov appointed Poltorak commander of the Internal Troops of Ukraine. Turchynov appointed a new commander of the Internal Troops , Espreso TV (28 February 2014)
When the National Guard of Ukraine was reestablished on 13 March 2014, Poltorak became its first commander on 15 April 2014.Parliament appoints Poltorak as commander of National Guard of Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine (15 April 2014)
On 14 October 2014, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada approved Poltorak's appointment as Ukraine's Minister of Defence. , replacing Valeriy Heletey, who was appointed head of the State Security Administration after President Petro Poroshenko accepted his resignation.
President Poroshenko accepted Poltorak's resignation from military service on 13 October 2018. Poltorak stayed on as Minister of Defence.
Poltorak resigned at the request of newly inaugurated president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 20 May 2019. His official tenure as Defence Minister ended on 29 August 2019 when Andriy Zahorodniuk was appointed his successor.
Family and personal life Poltorak is married to Inna (who is two years younger than him) and has an adult son called Ihor. Poltorak's wife is the captain of the militia, Vesti (15 October 2014) His wife is a captain at Poltorak former posting, the Academy of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kharkiv.
Awards and decorations Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 1st classOrder of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 3rd class Biography on the official website of Kharkiv Medal "For Irreproachable Service"Defender of the Motherland MedalMedal of ZhukovMedal for Battle MeritJubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"Medal "For Impeccable Service"Honorary citizen of Kharkiv Small biography, LB.ua (10 October 2016)
References
External links
Biography on the official website of Kharkiv