Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Ruslan Korzh has disclosed details of the appointment of the new management of the Antonov state aircraft manufacturing enterprise in an interview with the CFTS.

According to him, when the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade assumed control of Antonov, it immediately realized that too many functions were concentrated in the hands of the enterprise’s president/general designer. "Because being the chief designer and president places a very big burden on the body. It is very difficult for one person to combine these qualities, especially if he is trying to control everything," said Korzh.

However, according to him, Antonov’s head Dmytro Kiva disagreed with this position and Kiva’s team began a confrontation when the ministry lobbied for changes to these positions at the level of the enterprise’s statutes. "Unfortunately, Dmytro Kiva, his lawyers, and trade unions decided to play a game... Counter-lawsuits challenging our decision were filed. Essentially, the head and employees of a state-owned enterprise filed lawsuits against its shareholder, i.e. the ministry, and indirectly against the Ukrainian people. I still do not understand what was in the minds of the people that allowed themselves to take such steps," Korzh said.

When it became clear that the situation "had reached an impasse," a decision was made to transfer control of Antonov to the Ukroboronprom state defense concern, where separation of such positions exists in practically all enterprises.

"This was the way out of the situation from the perspective of Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arsenii Yatseniuk. In the end, when he understood that this was the position of the most senior officials in the country, Dmytro Kiva apparently realized that it was no longer worth engaging in such activities. It is unnecessary to play with fire, i.e. with the state - this is my advice to managers that believe that their enterprises are their properties," he said.

Thus, Kiva remains Antonov’s chief designer and Mykhailo Hvozdev, a former head of an Audi dealership in Khmelnitsky, becomes its acting president.