Andriy Taran
Andriy Vasylyovych Taran (Ukrainian: Андрій Васильович Таран) is a Ukrainian military leader and politician. He currently is serving as the 16th Minister of Defence of Ukraine. He is also a retired Lieutenant General in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Andriy Taran Андрій Таран | |
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16th Minister of Defence of Ukraine | |
Assumed office 4 March 2020 | |
President | Volodymyr Zelensky |
Prime Minister | Denys Shmyhal |
Preceded by | Andriy Zahorodniuk |
First Deputy Commander of the Ground Forces | |
In office December 2015 – April 2016 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Andriy Vasylyovych Taran 4 March 1955 Frankfurt an der Oder, German Democratic Republic |
Political party | Strength and Honor |
Education | Kyiv Higher Engineer School of Artillery National Defense University |
Occupation | military leader politician |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() ![]() |
Branch/service | Armed Forces of Ukraine |
Years of service | 1972–2016 |
Rank | Lieutenant General |
Early life and education
He was born March 4, 1955 in the East German city of Frankfurt an der Oder to a military family serving in the Soviet Army's Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. In the 1970s, he graduated from the Kyiv Higher Engineer School of Artillery (now the Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine) specializing in military radio engineering. In the 1980s he graduated from the Air Defense Army Academy in Kyiv with a major in combat management. He also underwent studies at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the National Defense University in Washington.[1] He is fluent in the English and Russian languages as second languages.[2]
Military and diplomatic service
In the early 90s, he served in the central office of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and then went to the Chief Directorate of Intelligence.[3] He worked at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine as an expert in the Center for Strategic Planning and Analysis, then returned to the central office of the Ministry of Defense in 1996. After leaving the Defence Ministry in 1999, he became a military attaché at the Embassy of Ukraine, Washington, D.C. From 2008, he was the Deputy Head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. For five months ending in April 2016, he was the First Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces. In 2016, he retired at the age of 61 due to his age, holding the rank of Lieutenant General. From September to November 2015, he worked in the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine.[4]
Political activity
In 2019, he headed the election headquarters of presidential candidate and former SBU head Ihor Smeshko.[5][6] In the 2019 parliamentary elections, he ran for parliament with Smeshko's Strength and Honor party.[7] But in the election the party won 3.82% of the votes, not enough to clear the 5% election threshold and it thus gained no parliamentary seats.[8]
Defence minister
On his 65th birthday in 2020, he was personally appointed to the post of Minister of Defence by President Volodymyr Zelensky, serving in the Shmyhal Government.[9][10][11] His appointment was backed by 285 MPs in the Verkhovna Rada.[12]
He has been a member of the NSDC since 13 March 2020.[13]
On December 14, 2020, for the first time in the history of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Andrii Taran signed several direct contracts with Turkish companies on technology transfer and production of corvettes and combat UAVs for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[14]
References
- "Міністром оборони став Андрій Таран: що про нього відомо". 24 Канал. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
- Хто такий Андрій Таран? Цензор.НЕТ
- "Андрій Таран став новим міністром оборони України". 24 Канал. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
- Рада призначила міністром оборони Андрія Тарана. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
- Передвиборчий штаб Смешка очолив генерал-лейтенант ЗСУ Таран
- "Міністром оборони став Андрій Таран: що про нього відомо". 24 Канал. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
- Кого Смешко повів на вибори: повний виборчий список партії «Сила і честь» Главком
- CEC counts 100 percent of vote in Ukraine's parliamentary elections, Ukrinform (26 July 2019)
(in Russian) Results of the extraordinary elections of the People's Deputies of Ukraine 2019, Ukrayinska Pravda (21 July 2019) - "Андрій Таран став новим міністром оборони України". Інформаційне агентство «Вголос» (in Ukrainian). 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
- "Рада відправила у відставку Кабмін Гончарука: онлайн". РБК-Україна. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
- https://112.international/ukraine-top-news/ukraines-new-cabinet-minister-of-defense-andriy-taran-49200.html
- Ukrainian lawmakers appoint Andriy Taran as new defense minister, UNIAN (4 March 2020)
- "Decree of the President of Ukraine № 80/2020". Office of the President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved April 11, 2020.
- [https://www.mil.gov.ua/en/news/2020/12/15/corvettes-and-combat-drones-ministry-of-defence-has-concluded-direct-agreements-with-turkish-companies-andrii-taran/