Oleksandr Kuzmuk

Oleksandr Ivanovich Kuzmuk
Олекса́ндр Іва́нович Кузьму́к
4th and 7th Minister of Defense
In office 24 September 2004 – 3 February 2005
President	Leonid Kuchma
Preceded by	Yevhen Marchuk
Succeeded by	Anatoliy Hrytsenko
In office 11 July 1996 – 24 October 2001
President	Leonid Kuchma
Preceded by	Valeriy Shmarov
Succeeded by	Volodymyr Shkidchenko
Personal details
Born	Oleksandr Ivanovich Kuzmuk (1954-04-17) April 17, 1954 Diatylivka, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
Political party	Party of Regions
Spouse	Lyudmila
Children	Ivan and Maria
Alma mater	Kharkiv Higher Armor Command College Malynovsky Military Academy of Armor Forces
Military service
Allegiance	Soviet Union (to 1991) Ukraine
Branch/service	Soviet Army Ukrainian Ground Forces
Years of service	1975 - 2001
Rank	General of Army of Ukraine
Commands	32nd Army Corps Ukrainian National Guard

Oleksandr Kuzmuk (Ukrainian: Олекса́ндр Іва́нович Кузьму́к; born 17 April 1954) is a Ukrainian politician and military officer, who is member of the Party of Regions and was the Minister of Defense of Ukraine (1996–2001, 2004–2005). Kuzmuk formerly commanded the National Guard of Ukraine (1995–1996) and holds the highest rank in the Ukrainian military, General of the Army of Ukraine (1998).

Biography

Kuzmuk was born on April 17, 1954 in a family of military officer Ivan Fedorovych Kuzmuk (?-1973) and Rayisa Mykhailivna Kuzmuk in a village of Diatylivka, Slavuta Raion (Khmelnytskyi Oblast). In 1975 he graduated the Kharkiv Higher Armor Command College. In 1975-80 Kuzmuk starting out as a platoon leader of armor forces served until becoming the deputy chief of staff of an armor regiment. In 1980-83 he was an audit student of the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy (Moscow). After that until 1988 Kuzmuk was an instructor at the academy.

In 1988-93 he was in leading positions of mechanized rifle division. From 1975 to 1993 Kuzmuk served in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, Belorussian Military District, Moscow Military District, Leningrad Military District, Carpathian Military District and Odessa Military District. In 1993-95 he was a commander of the 32nd Army Corps, senior military chief of Crimea.

In 1995-96 Kuzmuk was a commander of the National Guard of Ukraine and in 1996-2001 - the Minister of Defense. At the end of 2001 he finished his military career and became a politician by participating in the 2002 Ukrainian parliamentary election on the party list of For United Ukraine. Soon after winning some seats in the Verkhovna Rada, For United Ukraine fell apart and Kuzmuk stayed with the Labour Ukraine (an off-shot of the Labour Party of Ukraine). During that time in 2004 he was again appointed the Minister of Defense, while keeping his parliamentary seat. After the Orange Revolution Kuzmuk lost his ministerial seat and was replaced by Anatoliy Hrytsenko.

In the 2012 parliamentary election Kuzmuk was elected into parliament as a member of Party of Regions.

In the 2014 parliamentary election Kuzmuk tried to win a parliamentary seat through winning electoral district 38 situated in Novomoskovsk; but failed when he ended 3rd in the district with 12.78%. The announcement of the final result for electoral district 38 (won by Vadym Nesterenko) was delayed till mid-November because Kuzmuk challenged the results in court claiming Nesterenko was guilty of fraud and bribery of voters.

Awards and decorations

Kuzmuk has been awarded the following awards and decorations:

• Award of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for "Valor and Honor"
• Honorary pistol
• Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 1st Class
• Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 2nd Class
• Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class
• Order of Danylo Halytsky
• Order of Merit, 3rd Class

See also

• 2014 Crimea crisis

External links

• Unknown kidnapped a Colonel General in Crimea. Espreso. March 5, 2014
• Leadership of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
• Commanders of the National Guard of Ukraine. National Guard of Ukraine website.