This is the new Ukrainian Defence Minister

Ukrainian lawmakers have voted for the appointment of Rustem Umerov to the post of defence minister. He comes to this post after some changes made to the ministry, following concerns of corruption during military equipment purchases.

In the Ukrainian Parliament, 338 lawmakers voted for the appointment of Umedrov.

Umerov takes the lead in the Defence Ministry following the departure of Olexiy Reznikov, who had led the defence dictatorship since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Umerov, 41, is a politician from the opposition Holos party. Since September 2022, he has served as head of the State Property Fund. He has been involved in the exchange of prisoners of war, political prisoners, children and civilians, as well as the evacuation of civilians from occupied territories. Umerov was also part of the Ukrainian delegation in negotiations with Russia on the grain deal brokered by the United Nations.

Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky had argued the changes in the management of the Ministry of Defence with the need for a new “approach to this institution and other “interoperforms, both with the military and with the society”. / REL