Oleksii Reznikov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oleksii Reznikov
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Олексій Резніков
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Official portrait, 2021
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| 17th Minister of Defence | |
| In office 4 November 2021 – 5 September 2023 |
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| 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 |
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| In office 4 March 2020 – 3 November 2021 |
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| 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 Yuriiovych Reznikov (Ukrainian: Олексій Юрійович Резніков; born 18 June 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 helping areas that were temporarily occupied. He also worked as a deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Oleksii Reznikov was born on June 18, 1966, in Lviv. At that time, Lviv was part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union. His father, Yurii Reznikov, was a professor and a Master of Sports in Acrobatics. His mother, Olena Reznikova, was a neurologist and a Master of Sports in Rhythmic Gymnastics.
From 1984 to 1986, Reznikov served in the Soviet Air Forces. He was stationed at Lutsk and Novohrad-Volynskyi.
Reznikov studied at Lviv University and earned a master's degree in Law in 1991. He was a very active student. He won law competitions across Ukraine and represented his country in similar events across the Soviet Union. Besides Ukrainian, he speaks Russian, English, and Polish.
Professional Career
Oleksii Reznikov became a certified lawyer in 1994. His career in law started even before he finished university. He helped create a company called Galicia Securities. Later, he worked at the Ukrainian Legislation Centre in Kyiv.
He also started his own law firm, Pravis. This firm later joined with another to become Magisters. This new firm won awards for being one of the best law firms in Europe and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). In 2011, Magisters joined a larger international law group. Reznikov led a department there until 2014.
As a lawyer, Reznikov handled many important cases. For example, he defended Viktor Yushchenko in court when he was running for president. This case led to a new election round. He also represented various companies and individuals in different courts.
In 2014, his license to practice law was paused because he took on a role in the Kyiv City Council. In 2018, he started practicing law again at a firm called Asters. He focused on helping people solve disagreements without going to court, using methods like negotiation and mediation. He stopped practicing law again in 2020 but renewed his license in 2024.
In 2024, Oleksii Reznikov joined GLOBSEC. This is a non-governmental organization in Slovakia that works on global security issues.
Political Career
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In 2014, Reznikov was elected to the Kyiv City Council. He was part of the Solidarity party. He became the Deputy Mayor and Secretary of the Kyiv City Council.
Reznikov held several other important political roles. He led Ukraine's delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. He also worked on reforms for local government in Ukraine.
In 2019, President Volodymyr Zelensky chose Reznikov to represent Ukraine in talks about the conflict in Donbas. In 2020, he became the First Deputy Head of the Ukrainian delegation for these talks.
On March 4, 2020, Reznikov was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. He also became the Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine in the Shmyhal Government. This role involved helping people and areas affected by the conflict.
Defence Minister
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On November 1, 2021, Reznikov resigned from his role as Minister for Reintegration. A few days later, on November 3, 2021, he was appointed as Ukraine's Minister of Defence. This appointment came seven years after Russia took over Crimea and the start of the War in Donbas in Eastern Ukraine.
In December 2021, Reznikov mentioned that Germany had stopped Ukraine from buying certain defense equipment.
Dismissal
In September 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided to dismiss Reznikov as Minister of Defence. President Zelenskyy stated that he believed the ministry needed "new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society as a whole." He proposed Rustem Umierov to take over the role.
Personal Life
Oleksii Reznikov has directed amateur short films, including "People-quad" and "People-ATV: Elusive Again."
In 2009, he participated in the Silk Way Rally. This is a long-distance car race that goes through different countries and deserts. He was a co-pilot and navigator in the race.
He is also a successful motorsport athlete:
- 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 Yulia Yaroslavivna Zoriy, who is a television presenter.
Honours and Awards
- In 2019, he received the Silver Cross of Merit from the Ambassador of Poland to Ukraine. This is a state award from Poland.
- In 2022, the Minister of Defence of Denmark presented Oleksii Reznikov with the Medal of the Minister of Defence. This award was given for his "outstanding leadership during wartime."
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2021
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Reznikov meets with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun in Kyiv on 26 August 2020
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Reznikov, U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Warsaw, Poland on 26 March 2022
See also
In Spanish: Oleksii Réznikov para niños
