in Kyiv on 26 August 2020 In the
2014 Kyiv local election, Reznikov was elected to
Kyiv City Council's 7th convocation as a member of
Solidarity. Reznikov launched the reform of outdoor advertising in Kyiv. The core principles of this reform were a safe, accessible, and comfortable city. 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. 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. On July 1, at Reznikov's initiative, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine “On the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine” (No. 1616-IX), which granted legal status to the Crimean Tatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks as indigenous peoples of Ukraine. In March 2022, while serving as Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov took part in negotiations with the Russian delegation, which were initially held in Belarus and later in Turkey. He initiated the development of a new Charter of the Territorial Community of Kyiv, in which he introduced the concept of “public space.” Oleksii Reznikov is one of the initiators and co-authors of draft law No. 8202, “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine to Improve the System of Cultural Heritage Protection,” which strengthens administrative and criminal liability for the destruction of cultural heritage sites and aims to preserve the historical legacy of Kyiv and Ukraine. He is also one of the authors of draft law No. 8420 “On the Capital of Ukraine – the City of Kyiv,” which aims to regulate the activities of local self-government bodies and depoliticize their work. Among other provisions, the law proposes reducing the number of Kyiv City Council deputies from 120 to 25.
Defence Minister and U.S. Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin in
Warsaw, Poland on 26 March 2022 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. 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. 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. 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. In 2022–2023, Ukraine's Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov initiated a series of systemic reforms in the fields of defense, digitalization, and logistics. Among the key achievements were the launch of the electronic registry of conscripts and reservists “Oberih”, the establishment of the Defense Procurement Agency based on NATO standards, the implementation of the real-time battlefield coordination system DELTA, the expansion of the SAP and LOGFAS logistics platforms, and the creation of the State Rear Operator (DOT) to centralize non-combat support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During Reznikov's tenure, the Ministry of Defense also established an Anti-Corruption Council, introduced the digital logistics platform DOT-Chain, and dismantled monopolies in the military food supply sector. Reznikov reformed the procedures for the adoption of new military equipment, reducing the approval time from several years to just a few weeks. He also initiated the development of female military uniforms and body armor, updated logistics policies to reflect the needs of women, and launched a reform of military education aligned with NATO standards. In March 2022 Reznikov launched the electronic registry “Oberih” — a unified, centralized, automated information and telecommunications system for managing the data of conscripts, military personnel, and reservists. The formal launch of the system was enacted by Ministry of Defense Order No. 94 dated March 28, 2022. In June 2022, at Reznikov's initiative, the State Institution “Defense Procurement Agency of Ukraine” was established with the goal of introducing a transparent and efficient defense procurement system in line with NATO standards. In September 2022, Oleksii Reznikov initiated the simplification of the procedure for adopting new types of weapons and military equipment into service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On September 30, 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers approved Resolution No. 1097, which amended the regulations governing the supply of weapons, military and special equipment, and ammunition during martial law. As a result, the process of adopting new models — including codification, operational clearance, and integration into unit structures — was significantly accelerated.\ At Reznikov's initiative, systemic changes were also launched to address the needs of women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In December 2022, the Ministry of Defense presented the first samples of field uniforms and body armor adapted to the anatomical features of women. In 2023, the procurement of female-specific gear was officially incorporated into the ministry's logistics policy. On December 30, upon the submission of Minister Reznikov, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved an updated Concept for Reforming the Military Education System. The document envisions a phased transition to a multi-level professional training system for service members in accordance with NATO principles and standards. In January 2023, following a series of critical reports about inflated food prices, the Ministry of Defense under Reznikov's leadership announced a reform of the food supply system for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The key change involved a shift to a model where food is procured as a service rather than as individual products. On February 4, 2023, upon the proposal of Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the implementation of the Delta system — an integrated C4ISR platform that combines real-time data from drones, satellites, and intelligence sources to coordinate combat units within Ukraine's Defense Forces. In April, Oleksii Reznikov initiated a transparency reform within the Ministry of Defense by launching the creation of the Public Anti-Corruption Council and the Reform Support Office to enhance public oversight and strengthen coordination with the General Staff. Following a competitive selection process, Reznikov signed an order on April 28, 2023, approving the composition of the council, reaffirming the ministry's commitment to independent oversight of defense procurement and decision-making. In 2023, Reznikov, together with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, approved the implementation of SAP software for automating logistics and defense resource management. On December 1, 2023, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine officially launched the State Rear Operator (DOT) — a specialized agency created at Reznikov's initiative to centralize the procurement of food, fuel, clothing, and other non-combat supplies for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2022–2023, under Reznikov's leadership, the implementation of the LOGFAS (Logistics Functional Area Services) system — NATO's digital solution for managing resources, transportation, and supply — was significantly scaled up. As Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov played a key role in the creation and development of the international “Ramstein” platform — the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Beginning in April 2022, he participated in each of the first 13 meetings. Between 2022 and 2023, Reznikov initiated the creation of key capability coalitions within the Ramstein format: the Tank Coalition, F‑16 Fighter Jet Coalition ("Ocean’s 11"), Naval Coalition, IT Coalition, and Demining Coalition. These coalitions became platforms for systematic equipment transfers, training of Ukrainian troops and technical personnel, the establishment of repair hubs, and the development of the defense sector's digital infrastructure. Oleksii Reznikov consistently lobbied for strengthening Ukraine's air defense, the supply of heavy weaponry (including HIMARS, M270, NASAMS, Leopard, Abrams, and Harpoon systems), artillery, ammunition, and the implementation of NATO-standard training programs. In addition to participating in the Ramstein-format meetings, Reznikov actively represented Ukraine at international forums such as GLOBSEC, CEPA Forum, Shangri-La Dialogue, and at donor conferences held in Copenhagen, Paris, Brussels, Bucharest, Athens, Madrid, Stockholm, and Vilnius. He held bilateral talks with the defense ministers of the United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark, Greece, Romania, Australia, Singapore, and other nations, securing faster delivery of military assistance to Ukraine.
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." , which was supposed to begin on 5 January 2023 In December 2022, Reznikov predicted that a new wave of
Russian mobilisation would begin on 5 January 2023, but this didn't happen. 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. 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". 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. 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. 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". 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."
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. On April 3, 2025, Oleksandr Abakumov, head of the First Chief Division of Detectives at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), stated live on Radio Svoboda that “Reznikov is neither a suspect nor a witness in the case regarding military procurement.” In December 2023
BBC Verify, in collaboration with the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), released findings of an investigation uncovering a large-scale disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov. According to their report, over 12,800 fake TikTok accounts spread false allegations of corruption and abuse involving the minister, including fabricated claims that his daughter had purchased a mansion in Madrid. These accounts collectively amassed over 847,000 followers and likely generated hundreds of millions of views. TikTok confirmed that the accounts were linked to a Russian source and removed them for violating the platform's policies. The campaign coincided with increased political pressure on Reznikov, and his resignation in September 2023; President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced him with
Rustem Umerov. 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. In response, Reznikov submitted his formal resignation to parliament. On September 4, the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada endorsed his resignation, and on September 5, parliament voted to approve his dismissal with 327 votes in favor. == Personal life ==