Oleksii Yuriyovych Reznikov (; born 18 June 1966) is a Ukrainian lawyer and politician who has served as the Minister of Defence of Ukraine since 4 November 2021. Reznikov previously has served in several other positions in the government of Ukraine;

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration from 2016 to 2018, and deputy mayor-secretary of the

Kyiv City Council Kyiv City Council ( uk, Київська міська рада, translit=Kyivska miska rada), also known as Kyivrada ( uk, Київрада), is the city council of Kyiv municipality, the highest representative body of the city community. The me ...

from June 2014Oleksiy Reznikov elected as Kiev City Council Secretary

Interfax-Ukraine The Interfax-Ukraine ( uk, Інтерфакс-Україна) is a Kyiv-based Ukrainian independent news agency founded in 1992. The company does not belong to the Russian news corporation Interfax Information Services. The company publishes i ...

(19 June 2014)The Secretary of the Council have chosen a partner of the defender of Tymoshenko

Espreso TV Espreso TV ( uk, Еспресо TV) is an Internet television station in Ukraine that started to operate in November 2013. Espreso TV enabled the Euromaidan protests to be broadcast worldwide. Ownership The channel is owned by the media company ...

(19 June 2014) to December 2015. Reznikov also served as Head of Ukraine's National delegation in Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe from 2015 to 2016, and was chosen by President

Volodymyr Zelensky Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...

on 5 May 2020 to represent Ukraine in the working political subgroup at the Trilateral Contact Group regarding a settlement to the

War in Donbas War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

.Zelensky appoints lawyer, ex-secretary of Kyiv Council Reznikov to represent Ukraine in political subgroup in Minsk

(18.09.2019)

Early life and education

Reznikov was born on 18 June 1966 in

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...

, which was then part of the

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. His father, Yurii Reznikov was a professor, Master of Sports in Acrobatics, Provost of the Lviv State Institute of Physical Culture. His mother, Olena Reznikova, was a neurologist at Lviv neuropsychiatric clinic, Master of Sports in Rhythmic Gymnastics. From 1984 to 1986, Reznikov served in the

Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

, serving with the 806th Bombardment Aviation Regiment at

Lutsk Lutsk ( uk, Луцьк, translit=Lutsk}, ; pl, Łuck ; yi, לוצק, Lutzk) is a city on the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast (province) and the administrative center of the surrounding Lu ...

and Military Unit 87358 at

Novograd-Volynsky Zviahel (, ; translit. ''Zvil'') is a city in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Originally known as ''Zviahel'', the city was renamed to ''Novohrad-Volynskyi'' () in 1795 after annexation of territories of Polish–Lithuania ...

. Reznikov attended

Lviv University The University of Lviv ( uk, Львівський університет, Lvivskyi universytet; pl, Uniwersytet Lwowski; german: Universität Lemberg, briefly known as the ''Theresianum'' in the early 19th century), presently the Ivan Franko Na ...

, receiving a master's degree with honours in Law in 1991. During his university years, Reznikov actively participated in student life: he won the Law Student Olympics across the Ukrainian SSR in the individual and team competitions and represented Ukraine at the Law Student Olympics across the Soviet Union. In addition to

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

, Reznikov is fluent in Russian,

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, and Polish.

Career

Professional career

Reznikov's professional career began during his last year of university, when he co-founded the brokerage company Galicia Securities. Between 1999 and 2002, he served as the Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Legislation Centre in Kyiv. He also established Pravis law firm (later Reznikov, Vlasenko and Partners), which, in 2006, merged with the law firm Magister and Partners to become

Magisters Magisters was a large CIS-based law firm. The firm was founded in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1997, as Magister & Partners. The firm has since changed its name to Magisters and expanded across the territory of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In Jul ...

. In 2009 and 2010, Magisters won the Chambers Europe Award. In 2010, British magazine

The Lawyer ''The Lawyer'' is a legal business information product for law firm leaders, commercial lawyers, barristers A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. The ...

named Magisters the best law firm in Russia and the CIS. In 2011, Magisters was subject of a friendly takeover by Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev and Partners, an international group with offices in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Kyiv,

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative stat ...

and Washington, D.C. Until 3 July 2014, Reznikov headed the Department for Disputes and served as General Counsel of Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev and Partners. During his law practice, Reznikov defended then-presidential candidate

Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( uk, Віктор Андрійович Ющенко, ; born 23 February 1954) is a Ukrainian politician who was the third president of Ukraine from 23 January 2005 to 25 February 2010. As an informal leader of th ...

before the

Supreme Court of Ukraine The Supreme Court of Ukraine ( uk, Верховний Суд України, ) is the highest judicial body in the system of courts of general jurisdiction in Ukraine.2004 Ukrainian presidential election Presidential elections were held in Ukraine on 31 October, 21 November and 26 December 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union. The last stages of the election ...

was annulled. Reznikov represented B. Fuksman and O. Rodnyanskiy in their case against the "Studio 1 + 1" in the company of

Central European Media Enterprises Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. (CME) is a media and entertainment company that operates television channels in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Until its acquisition by PPF Group N.V. in October ...

, pertaining to their share of the ownership. He represented "Investment-Metallurgical Union" Consortium defending the legality of privatization of the "Krivorozhstal"; defended PFC "Dnieper" on privatization of the "Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant". Reznikov also represented several other people, including Savik Shuster,

Vladimir Gusinsky Vladimir Aleksandrovich Gusinsky (russian: Владимир Александрович Гусинский, ; born 6 October 1952) is a Russian media tycoon. He founded the Media-Most holding company that included the NTV free-to-air channel, ...

, OJSC "Arsellor Mittal Kryviy Rih" company "Quasar" Sadogan Petroleum, DCH, FC "Metallist" (on charges of violating the principles of fair play), IA "IMC" Corporation " Interpipe ". He gained extensive experience in representing clients in the Supreme Economic Court of Ukraine, the Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine, the Supreme Court of Ukraine, and in the

Court of Arbitration for Sport The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its ...

in Lausanne. On 20 June 2014, Reznikov's advocacy license (originally issued on 10 March 1994) was suspended, due to his appointment as the Secretary of the Kyiv City Council. In November 2018, Reznikov renewed his legal practice as a partner at the Asters Law Firm. Oleksii focuses on alternative dispute resolution including: expert determination, negotiation, facilitation, conciliation, mediation, fact-finding, early neutral evaluation, settlement conference and settlement agreements.

Political career

In the

2014 Kyiv local election Local elections in Kyiv for the post of Mayor and members of Kyiv City Council took place on 25 May 2014, as part of the 2014 Ukrainian local elections.Kyiv City Council Kyiv City Council ( uk, Київська міська рада, translit=Kyivska miska rada), also known as Kyivrada ( uk, Київрада), is the city council of Kyiv municipality, the highest representative body of the city community. The me ...

's 7th convocation as a member of

Solidarity ''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dicti ...

. Reznikov served as chairman of the Kyiv City Council Commission for the Restitution of the Rights of the Rehabilitated. On 19 June 2014, Reznikov was appointed Deputy Mayor – Secretary of the Kyiv City Council. Reznikov has served in multiple positions, including as head of Ukraine's National delegation in

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is the pan-European political assembly representing local and regional authorities from the forty-six member states of the Council of Europe. Its role is to promote local and regional democracy, imp ...

of the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it has 46 member states, with a p ...

from 2015 to 2016. Afterwards, he turned to activism, serving as Deputy Chairman of the Mayor Anti-Corruption Council, as a board member of the "Let's Do it Together" social project. At the same time, he also remained in government becoming a member of the Reformation Team for the Decentralisation, Local Government and Regional Policy of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development. On 18 September 2019, President

authorised Reznikov to represent Ukraine in the working political subgroup at the Trilateral Contact Group on a Donbas settlement. On 5 May 2020 President

authorised Reznikov to First Deputy Head of the Ukrainian delegation at the Trilateral Contact Group. On 4 March 2020, Reznikov was appointed

, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine in the

Shmyhal Government The Shmyhal government ( uk, Уряд Дениса Шмигаля) is the current government of Ukraine, formed on 4 March 2020 and led by Denys Shmyhal, who was previously acting vice prime minister, and earlier the Governor of Ivano-Frankivsk O ...

On 1 November 2021, Reznikov submitted his letter of resignation from the

, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine role. This resignation request was registered by the

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

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. In December 2021 he said

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

had vetoed Ukraine's purchase of anti-drone rifles and anti-sniper systems via the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. On 26 February 2022, two days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Reznikov had a call with Belarus's minister of defense

Viktor Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich Khrenin ( be, Віктар Генадзевіч Хрэнін, russian: Виктор Геннадиевич Хренин) is a senior leader in the Belarusian Armed Forces and the current Minister of Defense. Lieutenant Genera ...

, who on behalf of Russia's minister of defense

Sergei Shoigu Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, ; tyv, Сергей Күжүгет оглу Шойгу, translit=Sergey Kyzhyget oglu Shoygu, . (russian: Сергей Кужугетович Шойгу; born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician who has served as ...

offered to stop the invasion if Ukraine capitulated. Reznikov replied that he is "ready to accept the capitulation from the Russian side."

Personal life

Reznikov participates in trophy and

rally raids Rally or rallye may refer to: Gatherings * Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade * Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event Sports ...

, enjoys scuba diving, playing tennis, and skiing. He was the director of the amateur short films "People-quad" and "People-ATV: Elusive Again." He has over 260 diving expeditions, 163 parachute jumps, and tens of thousands of kilometres travelled on ATV over rough terrain. In 2009 he took part in the

Silk Way Rally The Silk Way Rally ( rus, Шёлковый путь) is an annual rally raid type of off-road race. The first Silk Way Rally was raced in 2009 from Kazan, Russia to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. From 2010 to 2013, the race has taken place in Russia. ...

in the

Dakar Series The Dakar Series is an annual series of rally raid off-road races, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation The Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) is part of the French media group Éditions Philippe Amaury. It organises the Tour de France and ...

as a co-pilot and navigator. The rally took place on the territory of three countries (

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

and

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the s ...

) and

Karakum Desert The Karakum Desert, also spelled Kara-Kum and Gara-Gum ( tk, Garagum, ; rus, Караку́мы, Karakumy, kərɐˈkumɨ), is a desert in Central Asia. Its name in Turkic languages means "black sand": "" means sand; "" is a contraction of : " ...

. * 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.

Honours and awards

* In 2019, at a reception dedicated to Independence Day, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Ukraine Bartosz Jan Cichocki presented Oleksii Reznikov with a state award - the Silver Cross of Merit (Poland). * In 2022, the Minister of Defence of Denmark

Morten Bødskov Morten Bødskov (born 1 May 1970 in Karup) is a Danish Social Democratic politician, and member of the Folketing, currently serving as the Minister for Business since 2022. He previously served as Minister of Defence from February to December 202 ...

presented Oleksii Reznikov with a Denmark Defence Minister award - medal "For outstanding leadership during wartime".

References

External links

* *
O. Reznikov speech at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (on 16 October 2014)

Mme Badlilita M Reznikov M Chiveri - interview during the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reznikov, Oleksii 1966 births Living people University of Lviv alumni Politicians from Lviv 21st-century Ukrainian lawyers 21st-century Ukrainian politicians Independent politicians in Ukraine Temporarily occupied territories and IDPs ministers of Ukraine National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Vice Prime Ministers of Ukraine Defence ministers of Ukraine Ukrainian rally drivers