Andy will replace Sir Simon Bollom who has served as the DE&S CEO since 2018.

DE&S is an arm’s length body of the MOD responsible for providing equipment and support to the UK’s Armed Forces.

Andy will take on this significant role within the Defence community having been CEO of Capita Public Service, one of the largest strategic suppliers to UK government, where he currently leads a team of over 12,000 staff.

He spent the first decade of his career working in the space sector as a designer and programme manager of military satellite systems, followed by leading a wide range of aerospace and defence businesses, with a specialism in helping improve performance and drive strategic change.

Incoming DE&S CEO, Andy Start said:

I am delighted and honoured to be taking on this key role in Government. DE&S plays a major part in keeping the UK secure and maintaining some of the nation’s key industrial and technological skills. There can be few more interesting, more meaningful, or more challenging leadership opportunities.

I’d like to thank Sir Simon Bollom for his extensive work in leading DE&S and setting a clear and deliverable strategy for the future. I look forward to working with DE&S staff, and the wider Defence sector, to drive this forward.

Andy has already previously taken responsibility for leading the UK Aerospace Innovation & Growth Team and supported the development of Defence Industrial Policy.

Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin said:

I’m pleased to welcome Andy Start to the role of CEO at Defence Equipment and Support. At an extremely important time in UK Defence, I am pleased that DE&S will be led by a CEO with extensive commercial experience who can take forward the work of Sir Simon Bollom.

Sir Simon, who has led the organisation over the last four years, has consistently been a tireless exemplar of public service leadership and driven DE&S forward. I wish him the very best for the future.

MOD Permanent Secretary, David Williams said:

Andy’s appointment is great news for both DE&S and MOD as we look to navigate a critical time in UK Defence. He brings a wealth of expertise from 25 years in senior leadership roles in Defence industry, and I know he has the vision and ambition to lead DE&S into the future.

I would also like to thank Sir Simon Bollom for his leadership of DE&S and commitment to Defence over the last four years and across his career. I wish him all the very best for the future.

The competition for Sir Simon’s position was launched in late 2021, attracting strong interest. Over 50 individuals applied and, as with all senior civil service appointments, fair and open competition was ensured, with recruitment of the role being overseen by the Civil Service Commissioner.

• sanctions target both the Generals committing atrocities on the front line, as well as individuals and businesses supporting Putin’s military
• intelligence reveals intentional bombing of critical and civilian infrastructure in Mariupol

Following Putin’s renewed assault in Donetsk and Luhansk, and intelligence which reveals intentional bombing of critical and civilian infrastructure in Mariupol, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has today (Thursday 21 April) announced a new wave of 26 sanctions – targeting defence actors.

Since 10 March 2022, Russian bombers have repeatedly dropped munitions on civilian infrastructure, including civil government buildings, hospitals, schools and transportation nodes. The UK government conclusion is that this is intentional targeting based on the types of civilian targets struck, frequency of strikes, volume of munitions and the repeated targeting of the same locations on consecutive days.

In response to the continued war of aggression in Ukraine, the UK government is imposing new sanctions on key leaders in Russia’s army – targeting those commanding the front line to commit these heinous acts. They are:

• Lt Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov, a Commanding Officer in the Russian Army with involvement in the ‘Bucha massacre’
• Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov, Commander of Airborne Forces
• Major General Valery Flyustikov, Commander of Special Operations Forces
• Colonel General Nikolay Bogdanovsky, First Deputy Chief of the General Staff

Today’s round of sanctions also targets individuals outside of Putin’s military who are actively supporting his illegal invasion of Ukraine. These include Oleg Belozyorov, the CEO and Chairman of vital logistics company Russian Railways, and Ilya Kiva, the defecting and expelled Ukrainian MP who has publicly supported Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

The depravity of Russia’s assault on the people of Ukraine is plain for all to see. They are deliberately targeting hospitals, schools, and transport hubs in Mariupol and beyond – just as they did in Chechnya and Syria.

The UK is unyielding in our support for Ukraine and in holding Putin and his regime to account. Today’s new wave of sanctions hits the generals and defence companies that have blood on their hands.

As part of today’s wave of sanctions, the UK is also fast-tracking a further 19 individuals and entities in alignment with global partners from the G7 and the EU. These additional sanctions are all linked to Russia’s military and defence capabilities as the UK and allies use sanctions to hamstring Putin’s current and future military efforts. Notable individuals and entities that have been fast-tracked include:

• Sergei Borisovich Korolyov, the First Deputy Director of Federal Security Service of Russia
• Kalashnikov Concern, a Russian developer and manufacturer of army Russian equipment whose weapons have been used by Russian Armed forces during the invasion of Ukraine
• Arzamas Machine-Building Plant, who build amphibious armoured personnel carriers that have been used in the invasion of Ukraine
• Military Industrial Company, a major supplier of arms and military equipment to the Russian armed forces
• GTLK, Russia’s largest leasing company which operates in different types of transport and special equipment for Russian companies in the transport industry

The UK government will continue to use sanctions to cripple Putin’s siege economy, while supporting Ukraine’s continued resistance. So far, the UK has sanctioned over £900 billion of global assets from banks, and sanctioned oligarchs and their families with a net worth of approximately £200 billion.

Individuals and entities sanctioned

Standard process:

• Anzhelika Khan, wife of UK-sanctioned oligarch German Khan. She is subject to an asset freeze
• Oleg Belozyorov, CEO and Board Chairman of Russian Railways, which is a key enabler for transporting Russian military equipment. Belozyorov is a Russian businessman with close ties to Putin. He is subject to a travel ban and asset freeze
• Ilya Kiva, expelled Ukrainian MP. Kiva has undermined the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine by supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is subject to a travel ban and asset freeze
• Lt Col Azatbek Omurbekov, the so-called ‘Butcher of Bucha’, is the Commanding Officer of the unit that occupied Bucha where there have been reports of war crimes with the death toll reaching almost 350. Omurbekov is subject to a travel ban and asset freeze
• Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov, Russian Commander Airborne Forces. Serdyukov is one of the six senior commanders responsible for overseeing the different districts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also headed the operation of the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014. Serdyukov is subject to a travel ban and asset freeze for undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
• Maj Gen Valery Flyustikov, Russian Commander Special Operations Forces. He is subject to a travel ban and asset freeze for undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
• Col Gen Nikolay Bogdanovsky, First Deputy Chief of the General Staff. Canada has already sanctioned this individual in 2014 due to Russian aggression against Ukraine. He is subject to a travel ban and asset freeze for undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine

Fast-track process:

• Sergei Borisovich KOROLYOV, First Deputy Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia and therefore critical to Russia’s security architecture. Canada has already sanctioned this individual due to his role in supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
• GTLK, Russia’s largest leasing company which operates in different types of transport and special equipment for Russian companies in the transport industry. GTLK carries out investment activities to develop Russia’s transport infrastructure. The sole shareholder of this organisation is the Russian Federation represented by Russia’s Ministry of Transport. The EU have already sanctioned this organisation due to GTLK financially supporting and benefitting from the Government of Russia, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine
• JSC ARZ MACHINEBUILDING PLANT, part of a Military Industrial Company which manufactures the BTR-80 amphibious armoured personnel carriers, which were used by Russia during the illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The EU has already sanctioned this organisation for its role in supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
• JSC Kalashnikov Concern, a Russian developer and manufacturer of army Russian equipment, including personal rifles, missiles and vehicles. Vikhr- 1 guided aircraft missiles and AK-12 assault rifles produced by Kalaslikov Concern were used by the Russian Armed Forces during the illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both the EU and US have already sanctioned this organisation for its role in supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
• LLC MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPANY, a major arms and military equipment provider to the Russian Armed Forces. It produces and sells wheeled and tracked all-terrain vehicles of various purposes. The EU has already sanctioned this organisation for its role in supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Background

Asset freeze

An asset freeze prevents any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person. UK financial sanctions apply to all persons within the territory and territorial sea of the UK and to all UK persons, wherever they are in the world. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person.

Travel ban

A travel ban means that the designated person must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom, providing the individual is an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971.

Transport sanctions

Recently introduced powers make it a criminal offence for any Russian aircraft to fly or land in the UK, and give the government powers to remove aircraft belonging to designated Russian individuals and entities from the UK aircraft register, even if the sanctioned individual is not on board. Russian ships are also banned from UK ports.