Kim's former adviser, Olha Malyarchuk, became his deputy at the Ministry for Veterans

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine appointed Olga Malyarchuk as deputy to the Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, Vitaliy Kim. The relevant order No. 844-r was adopted by the government on August 26, 2026. The document contains the direct decision on the appointment of Olga Malyarchuk. The areas for which she will be responsible in the ministry are not specified in the order.

Olga Malyarchuk has already worked with Vitaliy Kim. Since 2020 she was his advisor at the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration. In March 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved her appointment as deputy head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration (OVA), Oleksandr Prokudin’s deputy. In that position Malyarchuk dealt, in particular, with civil protection issues and the implementation of veterans’ policy.

According to the information provided, Vitaliy Kim‘s new team also includes his former advisers at the Mykolaiv OVA, Viktoriya Oliinyk and Neli Yarovenko, as well as the former head of the regional administration’s patronage service, Oleksandra Kukuruza. At the same time, government order No. 844-r concerns exclusively the appointment of Olga Malyarchuk.

Shortly before moving to the ministry, Malyarchuk took part in the 9th International Veterans Forum “A New Architecture of Veterans Policy”, which took place on August 22 in Kyiv. During a panel discussion she spoke about the implementation of veterans’ programs in front-line regions. According to the Kherson OVA, the official emphasized that state guarantees must be the same, but the mechanisms for implementing them should take into account the conditions of a particular region.

“It is not the person who should adapt to the program. The program must be flexible enough to meet the needs of the individual,” Malyarchuk said.

Olga Malyarchuk is from Mykolaiv. She is known as a volunteer and an initiator of the creation of the public organization of mothers and wives of servicemen, “Obereg”. Before the full-scale Russian invasion, Malyarchuk headed the Assistance Center for ATO Participants at the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration. In 2015 the official Mykolaiv website also referred to her as the coordinator of the regional volunteer movement. In 2014 Olga Malyarchuk was awarded the Order of Princess Olga, 3rd class, and in 2023 — the Order of Princess Olga, 2nd class.

Earlier we wrote:

• The Rada approved the government: Kim — Minister of Veterans, Vyhovskyi — head of the Interior Ministry
• “In soul and heart I will forever remain a Mykolaiv native”: Vitaliy Kim said goodbye to his post as head of the OVA
• “Minister — a veteran, not Kim”: Vitaliy admitted the critics were right and asked to be given a year
• “Minister — a veteran, not Kim”: the government’s personnel decision provoked protest
• After his appointment as minister, Kim does not intend to give up his mandate as a deputy of the Mykolaiv City Council