In July 1995 he rose to the position of Vice-Prime Minister in State Security and Extraordinary Situations, and the following year he became first Vice-Prime Minister (18 June 1996) in the Cabinet of the scandalous Pavlo Lazarenko.
In July 1995 he rose to the position of Vice-Prime Minister in State Security and Extraordinary Situations and the chairman of Presidential Committee in fight of corruption and organized crime. The following year he became first Vice-Prime Minister (18 June 1996) in the Cabinet of the scandalous Pavlo Lazarenko.