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Oleksandr Kuzmuk

Oleksandr Ivanovich Kuzmuk
Олекса́ндр Іва́нович Кузьму́к
Oleksandr Kuzmuk.jpg
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 (age 63)
Diatylivka, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
Political party Party of Regions
Spouse(s) Lyudmila
Children Ivan and Maria
Alma mater Kharkiv Higher Armor Command College
Malynovsky Military Academy of Armor Forces
Military service
Allegiance  Soviet Union
(1975 - 1991)
 Ukraine
(1991 - 2001)
Service/branch 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) is a Ukrainian politician, member of the Party of Regions, in past the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, General of the Army of Ukraine (1998).

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 Malynovsky Military Academy of Armor Forces (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 Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2002 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.


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