Vitaliy Pavlovich Khotsenko (russian: Вита́лий Па́влович Хоце́нко; born 18 March 1986) is a Ukrainian-born Russian politician, who served as Prime Minister of the

Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic ( rus, Донецкая Народная Республика, Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika, dɐˈnʲetskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə; abbreviated as DPR or DNR, rus, ДНР) is a Territorial ...

in 2022. He had previously held several statewide positions in

Stavropol Krai Stavropol Krai (russian: Ставропо́льский край, r=Stavropolsky kray, p=stəvrɐˈpolʲskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a Krais of Russia, krai) of Russia. It is geographically located in the North ...

and the

Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YaNAO; russian: Яма́ло-Не́нецкий автоно́мный о́круг (ЯНАО), ; yrk, Ямалы-Ненёцие автономной ӈокрук, ) or Yamalia (russian: Ямалия) is a fed ...

Biography

Early life

Khotsenko was born on 18 March 1986 in

Dnipropetrovsk Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...

(now known as Dnipro). His father, Pavel Vitalyevich Khotsenko, led the Organized Crime department of the

Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

. In addition, he led the directorate of a hotel complex in

Novy Urengoy Novy Urengoy (russian: Но́вый Уренго́й, lit: “New Urengoy”; Nenets: Едэй Уренгой, ''Edėy Urengoy'') is a city in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. Population: It is the second largest city in the autonomous ...

and of the

Sochi National Park Sochi National Park (russian: Сочинский национальный парк, also Sochinsky National Park) is Russia's oldest national park, established on May 5, 1983. It is located in the Western Caucasus, near the city of Sochi, in South ...

. Khotsenko graduated from the Faculty of Sociology in

Moscow State University M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...

, from the Singapore Institute of Marketing with a degree in Business Management and from the Specialized Institute of Jurisprudence with a degree in the field. He also graduated from the

Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) is a federal state-funded institution of higher education located in Moscow, Russia. With the merger of ANE, RAPA, 12 other regional civil service academies ...

with a master's degree in State regulation of the Economy, as well as postgraduate studies at Moscow State University. After training in the military department of Moscow State University, Khotsenko attained the rank of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

. He is also fluent in English.

Political career

Khotsenko first worked as an assistant to a member of the

Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation The Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation (russian: Общественная палата Российской Федерации), sometimes shortened to Civic Chamber (russian: Общественная палата), is a consultative civil s ...

. According to local media, his rapid promotion was related to his father's connections in the

. From 2008 to 2010, Khotsenko worked as the head of the analysis and forecasting department of the Yamalo-Nenets Okrug. From March of 2010, he worked as the Director of the department of Science and Innovation in the Okrug, as an assistant, as the expert adviser to the Okrug's first deputy governor, and as a supervisor of Industry, Fuel, Energy, and Natural Resources. On 16 December 2013, Khotsenko was appointed Minister of Energy, Industry and Communications of

. On September 12, 2019, Khotsenko became the Director of the Department of Industrial Policy and Project Management in the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. On 8 June 2022, the

People's Council of the Donetsk People's Republic The People's Council (russian: Народный Совет, Narodny Sovet), formerly the Supreme Council (russian: Высший Совет, Vysshy Sovet), is the regional parliament of the Donetsk People's Republic, a disputed entity annexed as ...

approved Khotsenko's candidacy for the position of Prime Minister of the

. That day, Khotsenko was appointed to the position by the

Head of the Donetsk People's Republic The Head of the Donetsk People´s Republic (russian: Глава Донецкой Народной Республики, Glava Donetskoy Narodnoy Respubliki) is the highest office of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), a disputed Russian republ ...

Denis Pushilin Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin (russian: Дени́с Влади́мирович Пуши́лин, ; uk, Денис Володимирович Пушилін, Denys Volodymyrovych Pushylin; born 9 May 1981) is a Russian and Ukrainian politician ...

. On 21 December 2022, Khotsenko was injured by shelling along with

Dmitry Rogozin Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin (russian: link=no, Дми́трий Оле́гович Рого́зин; born 21 December 1963) is a Russian politician who served as director general of Roscosmos from 2018 to July 2022. He previously served as deputy p ...

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...

; the attack killed two people according to DPR head Denis Pushilin, while Ukraine's border service confirmed that the Ukrainian military were behind the attack.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khotsenko, Vitaliy 1986 births Living people Politicians from Dnipro People of the Donetsk People's Republic Pro-Russian people of the war in Donbas Russian politicians