Criticism of Herman Filatov's appointment as State Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Transformation due to lack of IT experience

The appointment of Herman Filatov as State Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine has triggered a wave of discussion regarding the appropriateness of this personnel decision. Citizen Konstantyn Korshun, who identifies himself as an ideologist-visionary in the field of information and cybersecurity, published a post on Facebook in which he analysed the biography of the new official in detail and questioned his suitability for the position.

Career path: from law to tourism and airports

In his publication, Korshun cites facts from Filatov's professional path which, in his view, do not indicate deep expertise in the field of information technology. Specifically, it is noted that the official holds two higher education degrees: in 2019, he graduated from the University of Banking, and the following year, in 2020, from the National Academy of Internal Affairs.

Filatov's professional activity began in the legal sphere: he worked at the Ukrainian Institute of the Book and the Ministry of Culture. His career subsequently included positions at the State Agency for Tourism Development, where he was responsible for developing the conference industry, as well as at the Ministry of Infrastructure, where he dealt with issues of airport development.

In 2023, Filatov moved to the patronage service of the Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure, and in 2024 he headed the department of interaction with state authorities. In February 2025, he was appointed Deputy Head of the State Water Resources Agency of Ukraine for issues of digital development, digital transformation and digitisation. On 13 October 2026, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed Filatov as State Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

Doubts about the transparency of appointments

One of the main grounds for criticism was the absence of a clear specialisation in the IT sector in Filatov's previous experience. Korshun emphasised that the State Secretary is responsible for organising the work of the apparatus, personnel processes, coordinating departments and preventing corruption, which requires adequate professional experience and managerial competence.

The author of the post expressed the assumption that Filatov's rapid advancement through state structures may have been driven not only by professional qualities but also by personal connections or loyalty to the leadership. At the same time, Korshun noted that he currently has no specific evidence to support these hypotheses and called on readers to share any information they may have.

In his analysis, Korshun broadened the topic by criticising the general personnel policy of the authorities. He claims that when appointing people to state positions, political loyalty often takes precedence over professional competencies.

It is worth recalling that after a year of working at the head of the government, President Volodymyr Zelensky offered Svitlana Svyrydenko to lead a key direction in relations with one of Ukraine's main international partners.