Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some 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, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

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

Ukrainian Navy The Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Військо́во-морські́ си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни, ВМС ЗСУ) is the maritime forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Arme ...

(from 2001 to 2003).

Biography

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

Bar Raion Bar Raion ( uk, Барський район) was one of raions of Vinnytsia Oblast, located in southwestern Ukraine. The administrative center of the raion was the town of Bar. The raion was abolished and its territory was merged into Zhmerynka Ra ...

Vinnytsia Oblast Vinnytsia Oblast ( uk, Ві́нницька о́бласть, translit=Vinnytska oblast; ; also referred to as Vinnychchyna — uk, Ві́нниччина) is an oblast of western and southwestern Ukraine. Its administrative center is Vinnytsia. ...

, in the

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

of 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 national ...

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

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

and went on military career. Having served in the Pacific Fleet of the Soviet Navy from 1975 till 1993, Yezhel acquired citizenship of the newly independent

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

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

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

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukraini ...

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 ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, condu ...

Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of Di ...

. 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 ( uk, Павло Валентинович Лебедєв) (born on 12 July 1962, settlement Novomikhailovsky, Krasnodar Krai, the RSFSR, the USSR) is a Ukrainian and Russian financier and businessman. Member of the B ...

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 (russian: Туполев Ту-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 ...

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

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

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

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

. 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 People from Vinnytsia Oblast Naval commanders of Ukraine Defence ministers of Ukraine Ambassadors of Ukraine to Belarus Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class Fugitives wanted by Ukraine