Oleksii Reznikov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oleksii Reznikov
|
|
|---|---|
|
Олексій Резніков
|
|
.jpg)
Official portrait, 2021
|
|
| 17th Minister of Defence | |
| In office 4 November 2021 – 5 September 2023 |
|
| President | Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
| Prime Minister | Denys Shmyhal |
| Preceded by | Andriy Taran |
| Succeeded by | Rustem Umerov |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Minister of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories |
|
| In office 4 March 2020 – 3 November 2021 |
|
| President | Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
| Prime Minister | Denys Shmyhal |
| Preceded by | Oksana Koliada |
| Succeeded by | Iryna Vereshchuk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 June 1966 Lviv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
European Solidarity |
| Education | University of Lviv |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union |
| Branch/service |  Soviet Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1984–1986 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
Oleksii Reznikov (born on June 18, 1966) is a Ukrainian lawyer and politician. He served as the Minister of Defence of Ukraine from November 2021 to September 2023. Before that, he held several important roles in the Ukrainian government. These included being a Deputy Prime Minister and a Minister for Reintegration. He also worked as a deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration and a deputy mayor of Kyiv.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Oleksii Reznikov was born in Lviv, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. His father was a professor and a sports master in acrobatics. His mother was a neurologist and a sports master in rhythmic gymnastics.
From 1984 to 1986, Reznikov served in the Soviet Air Forces. He was part of an aviation regiment during his service.
He studied at Lviv University and earned a master's degree in Law in 1991. He was a very good student, winning law competitions in Ukraine and representing his country in Soviet Union-wide contests. Besides Ukrainian, he speaks Russian, English, and Polish.
Professional Career as a Lawyer
Oleksii Reznikov became a certified lawyer in 1994. He started his career while still in university, helping to create a company called Galicia Securities. He later co-founded a law firm that became very successful.
His law firm, Magisters, won awards in 2009 and 2010. It was even named the best law firm in Russia and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) by a British magazine.
As a lawyer, Reznikov handled many important cases. For example, he defended a presidential candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, in court. This case led to a new election round in 2004. He also represented large companies and sports clubs in legal disputes. He gained a lot of experience in different types of courts.
In 2018, Reznikov returned to practicing law. He focused on helping people solve disagreements without going to court. This includes methods like negotiation and mediation. He stopped practicing law in March 2020 when he took on a government role. His right to practice law was renewed in January 2024.
In the summer of 2024, Oleksii Reznikov joined GLOBSEC. This is an organization that works on global security issues.
Political Career
.jpg)
In 2014, Reznikov was elected to the Kyiv City Council. He became the Deputy Mayor and Secretary of the Kyiv City Council. He also led Ukraine's group in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
He worked on projects to fight corruption and improve local government. In 2019, President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Reznikov to represent Ukraine in talks about the conflict in Donbas. He later became the First Deputy Head of the Ukrainian team for these talks.
In March 2020, Reznikov was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. He also became the Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. This role involved helping areas that were not under Ukrainian control.
Serving as Defence Minister
.jpg)
On November 3, 2021, Oleksii Reznikov was appointed Ukraine's Minister of Defence. This happened seven years after Russia took control of Crimea and after the start of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
In December 2021, Reznikov mentioned that Germany had stopped Ukraine from buying certain defense equipment.
During the 2022 Russian Invasion
When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Reznikov played a key role. He spoke with his Belarusian counterpart, who offered to stop the invasion if Ukraine surrendered. Reznikov famously replied that he was "ready to accept the capitulation from the Russian side."
.png)
In March 2023, Reznikov stated that Russian forces were losing many soldiers in the fighting for Bakhmut. He described their tactics as a "meat grinder."
In May 2023, he encouraged people from the Russian republic of Bashkortostan not to fight against Ukraine. He said that many Bashkir men had been harmed in the conflict.
In June 2023, he said that Ukraine would only accept China as a mediator for peace talks if China could convince Russia to leave all occupied Ukrainian territories. He felt that some peace plans were not fair to Ukraine.
In July 2023, US President Joe Biden decided to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine. Reznikov welcomed this decision, hoping it would help Ukraine take back its territories.
Resignation from Defence Minister Role
In early 2023, there were discussions about Reznikov's possible resignation. This came after some other high-ranking officials in the defense ministry were dismissed due to concerns about how money was being spent. There were questions about the prices of products and ammunition bought for the military.
On September 3, 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Reznikov as Minister of Defence. Zelenskyy stated that he believed the ministry needed "new approaches" and different ways of working with the military and society.
Personal Life
Oleksii Reznikov has directed amateur short films. He also enjoys motorsports. In 2009, he took part in the Silk Way Rally, a long-distance race across three countries.
He has won several awards in Ukrainian trophy-raid competitions:
- Two-time silver medallist of the Ukraine trophy-raid (2011–2012)
- Champion of the Ukraine trophy-raid (2013)
- Master of Sport of Ukraine in Motorsport
Reznikov is of Jewish heritage. In 2020, he married television presenter Yulia Yaroslavivna Zoriy.
Honours and Awards
- In 2019, the Ambassador of Poland to Ukraine presented Oleksii Reznikov with the Silver Cross of Merit. This is a state award from Poland.
- In 2022, the Minister of Defence of Denmark gave Oleksii Reznikov the Medal of the Minister of Defence. This award was for his "outstanding leadership during wartime."
See also
In Spanish: Oleksii Réznikov para niños
