Andriy Taran
{{short description|Ukrainian lieutenant general and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Family name hatnote|Vasylyovych|Taran|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Andriy Taran
| native_name = {{nobold|Андрій Таран}}
| native_name_lang = uk
| image = Надзвичайний і Повноважний Посол України в Республіці Словенія.jpg
| caption = Taran in 2022
| office = 16th Minister of Defence
| president = Volodymyr Zelenskyy
| primeminister = Denys Shmyhal
| term_start = 4 March 2020
| predecessor = Andriy Zahorodniuk
| successor = Oleksii Reznikov
| office1 = First Deputy Commander of the Ground Forces
| term_start1 = December 2015
| term_end1 = April 2016
| office2 = Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovenia
| president2 = Volodymyr Zelenskyy
| term_start2 = 4 May 2022
| term_end2 = 21 December 2024
| predecessor2 = Mykhailo Brodovych
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|03|4|df=y}}
| birth_place = Frankfurt an der Oder, Brandenburg, East Germany
(now Germany)
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Kyiv Higher Engineer School of Artillery
National Defence University
| occupation = Lieutenant general (retired)
Politician
| party = Strength and Honor
| allegiance = {{USSR}}
{{UKR}}
| branch = Armed Forces of Ukraine
| serviceyears = 1972–2016
| rank = Lieutenant general
}}
Andriy Vasylyovych Taran ({{langx|uk|Андрій Васильович Таран}}; born 4 March 1955) is Ukraine's ambassador to Slovenia. He was the 16th Minister of Defence of Ukraine and before that a lieutenant general in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Early life and education
Andriy Vasylyovych Taran was born 4 March 1955 in the East Germanу city of Frankfurt an der Oder to a military family serving in the Soviet Army's Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. In the 1970s, he graduated from the Kyiv Higher Engineer School of Artillery (now the Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defence University of Ukraine) specializing in military radio engineering. In the 1980s he graduated from the Air Defence Army Academy in Kyiv with a major in combat management. He also underwent studies at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the National Defence University in Washington.{{Cite web|title=Міністром оборони став Андрій Таран: що про нього відомо|url=https://24tv.ua/andriy_taran_biografiya_ministr_oboroni_ukrayini_taran_hto_tse_n1291882|website=24 Канал|date=4 March 2020 |accessdate=2020-03-04}} He is fluent in English and Russian as second languages.[https://censor.net.ua/ua/resonance/3178659/hto_takyyi_andriyi_taran Хто такий Андрій Таран?] Цензор.НЕТ
Military and diplomatic service
In the early 90s, he served in the central office of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and then went to the Chief Directorate of Intelligence.{{Cite web|title=Андрій Таран став новим міністром оборони України|url=https://24tv.ua/andriy_taran_ministr_oboroni_ukrayini_taran_hto_tse_n1291872|website=24 Канал|date=4 March 2020 |accessdate=2020-03-04}} He worked at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine as an expert in the Centre for Strategic Planning and Analysis, then returned to the central office of the Ministry of Defence in 1996. After leaving the Defence Ministry in 1999, he became a military attaché at the Embassy of Ukraine, Washington, D.C. From 2008, he was the Deputy Head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. For five months ending in April 2016, he was the First Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces. In 2016, he retired at the age of 61 due to his age, holding the rank of lieutenant general. From September to November 2015, he worked in the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine.[https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-taran-ministr-oborony/30468898.html Рада призначила міністром оборони Андрія Тарана.] Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Political activity
In 2019, he headed the election headquarters of presidential candidate and former Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ihor Smeshko.[https://gordonua.com/ukr/news/politics/peredvibornij-shtab-smeshko-ocholiv-general-lejtenant-zsu-taran-745952.html Передвиборчий штаб Смешка очолив генерал-лейтенант ЗСУ Таран]{{Cite web|title=Міністром оборони став Андрій Таран: що про нього відомо|url=https://24tv.ua/andriy_taran_biografiya_ministr_oboroni_ukrayini_taran_hto_tse_n1291882|website=24 Канал|date=4 March 2020 |accessdate=2020-03-04}} In the 2019 parliamentary elections, he ran for parliament with Smeshko's Strength and Honour party.[https://glavcom.ua/news/kogo-smeshko-poviv-na-vibori-povniy-viborchiy-spisok-partiji-sila-i-chest-603985.html Кого Смешко повів на вибори: повний виборчий список партії «Сила і честь»] Главком But in the election the party won 3.82% of the votes, not enough to clear the 5% election threshold and it thus gained no parliamentary seats.[https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-elections/2748306-cec-counts-100-percent-of-vote-in-ukraines-parliamentary-elections.html CEC counts 100 percent of vote in Ukraine's parliamentary elections], Ukrinform (26 July 2019)
{{in lang|ru}} [https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/articles/2019/07/21/7221526/ Results of the extraordinary elections of the People's Deputies of Ukraine 2019], Ukrayinska Pravda (21 July 2019)
=Defence minister=
On his 65th birthday in 2020, he was personally appointed to the post of Minister of Defence by President Volodymyr Zelensky, serving in the Shmyhal Government.{{Cite web|title=Андрій Таран став новим міністром оборони України|url=https://vgolos.com.ua/news/andrij-taran-stav-novym-ministrom-oborony-ukrayiny_1184435.html|website=Інформаційне агентство «Вголос»|date=2020-03-04|accessdate=2020-03-04|language=uk}}{{Cite web|title=Рада відправила у відставку Кабмін Гончарука: онлайн|url=https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rada-otpravlyaet-otstavku-kabmin-goncharuka-1583270466.html|website=РБК-Україна|accessdate=2020-03-04}} His appointment was backed by 285 MPs in the Verkhovna Rada.[https://www.unian.info/politics/10902101-ukrainian-lawmakers-appoint-andriy-taran-as-new-defense-minister.html Ukrainian lawmakers appoint Andriy Taran as new defense minister], UNIAN (4 March 2020)
On 13 March 2020, he became a member of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.{{cite web|url=https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/802020-32713 |title=Decree of the President of Ukraine № 80/2020 |work=Office of the President of Ukraine |accessdate=April 11, 2020 |lang=uk}}
On 14 December 2020, for the first time in the history of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Taran signed several direct contracts with Turkish companies on technology transfer and production of corvettes and combat UAVs for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mil.gov.ua/en/news/2020/12/15/corvettes-and-combat-drones-ministry-of-defence-has-concluded-direct-agreements-with-turkish-companies-andrii-taran/ |title=Corvettes and combat drones - Ministry of Defence has concluded direct agreements with Turkish companies, - Andrii Taran}}
On 2 November 2021 Taran resigned as minister,{{cite news |title=Ukraine's defence minister submits resignation |date=2 November 2021 |url= https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-defence-minister-submits-resignation-2021-11-02/ |newspaper=Reuters |access-date=10 January 2023}}[https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/3344201-verkhovna-rada-dismisses-defense-minister-andriy-taran.html Verkhovna Rada dismisses Defense Minister Andriy Taran], Ukrinform (3 November 2021) reportedly for health reasons.{{cite news |title=Ukraine gets new defense minister to strengthen army |date=4 November 2021 |url= https://www.voanews.com/a/ukraine-gets-new-defense-minister-to-strengthen-army/6299654.html |agency=Agence France-Presse |newspaper=VOA |access-date=10 January 2023}}
Ambassador to Slovenia
On 5 May 2022, Taran was appointed Ukraine's ambassador to Slovenia.{{cite news |title=Zelensky appoints former defence minister as new Ukrainian ambassador to Slovenia |date=5 May 2022 |url= https://www.total-slovenia-news.com/politics/9957-zelensky-appoints-former-defence-ministers-as-new-ukrainian-ambassador-to-slovenia |newspaper=Total Slovenia News |access-date=10 January 2023}}
On 21 December 2024, Taran was dismissed Ukraine ambassador to Slovenia.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-21 |title=УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №864/2024"Про звільнення А.Тарана з посади Надзвичайного і Повноважного Посла України в Республіці Словенія" |url=https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/8642024-53233 |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=www.president.gov.ua/}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
{{Ukrainian Ministers of Defence}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taran, Andriy}}
Category:People from Frankfurt (Oder)
Category:Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine alumni
Category:National Defense University alumni
Category:Ministers of defense of Ukraine
Category:Lieutenant generals of Ukraine
Category:21st-century Ukrainian politicians
Category:Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 2nd class
Category:Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class