Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

(Ret.) Mykhailo Bronislavovych Yezhel () is the former Minister of Defence of Ukraine (from 2010 to 2012) and a former Commander of the

Ukrainian Navy The Ukrainian Navy (), is the Navy, maritime force of Ukraine and one of the eight Military branch, service branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The naval forces consist of five components: surface forces, submarine forces, Ukrainian Naval ...

(from 2001 to 2003).

Biography

Yezhel was born on 19 October 1952 in a small village of Sloboda-Yaltushkivska, Bar Raion,

Vinnytsia Oblast Vinnytsia Oblast (, ), also referred to as Vinnychchyna (), is an oblasts of Ukraine, oblast in central Ukraine. Its capital city, administrative center is Vinnytsia. The oblast has a population of History Vinnytsia Oblast, first established on ...

, in the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. In 1970 he completed 10th grade in a Republican specialized boarding school in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

and went on military career. Having served in the Pacific Fleet of the

Soviet Navy The Soviet Navy was the naval warfare Military, uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with t ...

from 1975 till 1993, Yezhel acquired citizenship of the newly independent

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

and joined its Navy from the very beginning of its foundation. From 20 August 2001 until 25 April 2003, he served as commander-in-chief of the

. He retired in October 2003. From 11 March 2010 until 8 February 2012 he served as the Minister of Defence of Ukraine. According to

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' is a Ukrainian socio-political online media outlet founded by Heorhii Gongadze in April 2000. After Gongadze’s death in September 2000, the editorial team was led by co-founder Olena Prytula, who remained the editor-in ...

he had been forced to resign "for failure to plan for army reform". On 24 February 2012 Yezhel was appointed an adviser to

Ukrainian President The president of Ukraine (, ) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. ...

Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych (born 9 July 1950) is a Ukrainian politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014. He also served as the prime minister of Ukraine several times between 2002 and 2007 and was a member of t ...

. From 2013 until 2015 Yezhel was Ambassador of Ukraine to Belarus.The court allowed the investigation into the distance Yezhel

(22 August 2016) In March 2016 Mykhailo Yezhel together with (his successor as Minister of Defence)

Pavlo Lebedyev Pavlo Valentynovych Lebedyev (, ; born 12 July 1962) is a Russian and former Ukrainian politician, financier and businessman who is currently a member of the Board of Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE). Head of Coordinatio ...

were placed on a wanted list by Ukrainian authorities on suspicion of criminal activities and desertion. Yezhel was specifically wanted in relation to the sale of two

Tu-95MS The Tupolev Tu-95 (; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the Soviet Air Forces in 1956 and ...

bombers to Russia during his period as defense minister. In April 2015

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

refused to respond to the Ukrainian request as to whether Yezhel lived in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and 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 status in Belarus and is the administra ...

. Yezhel than confirmed that he and his family did live in Belarus, and that he will only return to Ukraine after a withdraw of the criminal charges. He was granted refugee status in

in July 2018.Belarus grants refugee status to ex-defense minister of Ukraine
/ref>

References

External links

Biography (''In Ukrainian'')
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yezhel, Mykhailo Ukrainian admirals Soviet Navy personnel Living people 1952 births Military personnel from Vinnytsia Oblast Naval commanders of Ukraine Ministers of defense of Ukraine Ambassadors of Ukraine to Belarus Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class Fugitives wanted by Ukraine Nakhimov Black Sea Higher Naval School alumni