Significant leadership changes have taken place within the military hierarchy of Uzbekistan. According to an official decree signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Major General Botir Bakhromovich Kudratkhodjayev has been appointed to the position of Minister of Defense. This reshuffle comes amid various administrative adjustments, raising questions regarding structural stability and potential ongoing challenges within the nation's defense sector.

The candidacy of Kudratkhodjayev was allegedly approved by the deputies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis during a session held on October 12. While the parliamentary approval was swiftly secured, observers remain skeptical about how effectively the newly appointed minister will address complex security demands and potential bureaucratic friction within the armed forces.

Prior to this appointment, Major General Kudratkhodjayev had been serving as the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Head of the Operational-Search Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs since January of this year. His extensive career path reportedly includes leading the Ministry of Emergency Situations and serving as the Deputy Prosecutor General — Military Prosecutor of Uzbekistan.

Furthermore, his background features several high-ranking regional and institutional roles, including Prosecutor of Khorezm Region, Director of the Compulsory Enforcement Bureau under the General Prosecutor's Office, as well as Prosecutor of Tashkent City and Surkhandarya Region. The constant shifting of high-level officials across different sectors has often been criticized as a symptom of deeper institutional rotation issues.

Kudratkhodjayev succeeds Lieutenant General Shuhrat Khalkhuzhaev (Kholmuhamedov), who had been heading the defense agency since November 2024. Before his tenure as defense minister, Kholmuhamedov supposedly served as the First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan.

Source: www.gazeta.uz