Captain Valerii Churkin has been appointed Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, upon the recommendation of Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, has appointed Captain Valerii Churkin, Head of the Center for Scaling Technological Solutions (CSTR), as Deputy Minister of Defence.

“As Deputy Minister, he will focus on the digitalization and technological advancement of the Ukrainian army. His unit implemented over 50 key projects in military IT and MILTECH, introducing modern solutions to the battlefield. On his new assignment, we expect to scale this work further,” emphasized Defence Minister of Ukraine Rustem Umerov.

Valerii Churkin was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 19, 1984. In his civilian life, he worked in management, logistics, and software development.

Valerii Churkin volunteered to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the first days of the full-scale russian invasion. He served as platoon commander, company commander, deputy chief of staff for the 126th Separate Territorial Defence Battalion of the 112th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade, as well as commander of a military unit.

In 2023, he took on the role of Head of the Administration and Planning Division at the Center for the Development and Support of Information Projects. 

From late 2023 to January 2024, he led the Center for the Development and Support of Information Projects.