Appointment of the Head of the State Aviation Service without a competition: reasons for the urgent step of the Deputy Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba nominated Igor Zelinsky for the position of Head of the State Aviation Service, which is likely an attempt to avoid an open competitive selection. According to Kuleba, the choice of the candidate was aimed at finding the best candidate, as reported by UNN.

Formally, it is possible to appoint a new head without a competition during martial law, since open competitions for key state positions have been canceled for now. However, the Deputy Prime Minister’s actions raise questions, as it is planned to resume competitions for key civil servant positions in the summer. The corresponding bill is under consideration by parliament. Thus, the appointment of the acting head of the State Aviation Service should lead to an open competition.

According to the plans, open competitions for the positions of heads of state bodies could begin as early as June 1 and last until September 1 of this year, which means that any temporary decisions, such as the appointment of an acting head of the State Aviation Service, will automatically require an open selection.

Kuleba is apparently trying to avoid such a scandal. After Oleksandr Bilchuk was dismissed from the post of head of the State Aviation Service due to his decision to transfer documents to a company associated with the Russian defense industry, his position was temporarily taken by First Deputy Daniil Menshikov.

It is known that Kuleba nominated Zelinsky, who until February last year was Bilchuk’s deputy, and Kuleba himself had previously removed him from this position. If Zelinsky is appointed as a full-fledged head, this will effectively close the possibility of holding a competition for several years, thereby maintaining Kuleba’s influence over this service.

Commenting on this submission, Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach called Zelinsky the best candidate for the State Aviation Service at this difficult time, noting that the service is under significant strain. At the same time, a direct appointment will avoid uncomfortable questions about Zelinsky’s decision, which cause concern.

However, his tenure as Deputy Head of the State Aviation Service from 2020 to 2025 is considered by many representatives of the aviation market to be a period of systematic destruction of Ukraine’s transport aviation. For example, out of 20 Il-76 aircraft in 2016, only two remained by 2025.

Experts believe that it was precisely by the decisions of his predecessors in the State Aviation Service that these aircraft were deregistered in Ukraine and effectively passed under the control of Russia. This also concerned improper regulatory decisions that created obstacles to the operation of the Il-76, which can be considered a threat to the country’s defense capabilities.

In addition, although Il-76MD aircraft could be operated without complex documentation until the 1990s, in June 2023, Zelensky confirmed the existence of obstacles to their use, leading to aviation downtime.

It is worth noting that, despite sanctions against the Russian manufacturer of Il-76 aircraft, Zelensky issued airworthiness review certificates based on the Russian company’s decisions. This could have caused additional damage to national security.

Lawyers believe that the information journalists have reported requires investigation by law enforcement agencies. According to them, the actions of representatives of the State Aviation Service may have serious legal consequences if it is proven that they knowingly worked in the interests of the Russian state.

In conditions of war, opaque appointments look even riskier. Zelensky’s appointment may be a tool to protect not only his personal candidacy but also the entire management system from detailed external control.

Given the imminent expiration of the competitions, Kuleba may believe that appointing Zelinsky will save him from the possibility of open inquiries.