Valerii Shmarov

Valeriy Mykolaiovych Shmarov (; 14 August 1945 – 14 October 2018) was a Ukrainian politician and aerospace engineer. He served as the third Minister of Defence of Ukraine between 10 October 1994 and 8 July 1996.

Biography Shmarov was born on 14 August 1945, in the village of Zholoby in central Ukraine. He graduated from the Kyiv College of Information Systems and Technologies as a radio mechanic in 1966, and from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv as an economist in 1972.

From 1966 to 1987 he worked at Kiev Radio Factory in many positions, ranging from a regulator of radio equipment to a Production Director. He participated in the creation of control systems of several generations of strategic missiles and spacecraft, including the complex "Energia-Buran".

Between 1988 and 1992 he was the director of the Zhulyany Machine-Building Plant which produced controlled surface-to-air missile for the S-300 systems.

From 1992 to 1993 he was the First Deputy Director General of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. He participated in the development and implementation of the National Space Program of Ukraine.

From 1993 to 1995 he was a Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine on issues of military-industrial complex of Ukraine.

Shmarov was appointed Minister of Defence in 1994. At the time, he was the first civilian to hold the office of minister of defence in any Commonwealth of Independent States state. Shmarov was described by political scientist Taras Kuzio as "strongly in favour of Ukraine's nuclear disarmament", and his appointment was part of a broader effort by President Leonid Kuchma to assert political control over the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was criticised by Ukrainian national democrats for perceived Russophilia; Kuzio notes that he at one point sued the Evening Kyiv for libel after it referred to him as such. National democratic circles also criticised Shmarov's efforts to reform the military, and he was ultimately dismissed by Kuchma on 11 July 1996 for being unable to "carry out the role assigned to him", as Kuchma publicly stated.

From 1997 he was an Honorary President of the Association of Aviation Enterprises of Ukraine "Ukraviaprom".

Beginning in 1998, Shmarov worked at the National Aviation University as an associate professor, then professor, and finally became director of the Aerospace Institute of National Aviation University in 2005.

From 2002 to 2005 he was a Director-General of the State company of export and import of products and services for military and special purposes "Ukrspetsexport".

He became a professor in 2004, and a Doctor of Technical Sciences in 2006.

Shmarov died on 14 October 2018 at the age of 73.

Awards Order of the Badge of Honour – 1976 Order of Merit, Third Class – 2010