Rustem Umerov appointed Ukraine's new defence minister as Zelensky calls for new approach

In the biggest shake-up of the defence establishment since the war began 18 months ago, Ukraine on Wednesday (Sept 06) appointed former lawmaker Rustem Umerov as the new defence minister.

He has replaced his predecessor Oleksii Reznikov, who faced several allegations of corruption at the ministry and was later fired by West-backed President Volodymyr Zelensky.

It must be noted that Reznikov played a key role in securing billions in aid from the Western nations for the war-torn nation. He says he is the victim of a smear campaign and upholds his innocence. As per media reports, his dismissal is not expected to alter Ukraine’s war strategy.

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‘New approach needed’

While welcoming Umerov aboard the council of ministers, Zelensky said that new approaches and other forms of interactions were needed to reinforce the so-called Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that heading the defence institution was a big responsibility. "To head the defence institution during the full-scale war with Russia is a big responsibility," the PM said.

Watch:Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian troops advancing south in their counteroffensive

"We expect that the new minister will quickly step into his duties and continue reforms of the defence sector," he added.

More about Rustem Umerov

Prior to his appointment, Umerov, proficient in both English and Turkish, served as the head of Ukraine's primary privatisation agency, the State Property Fund, for approximately a year.

He received recognition for transforming the institution and reinitiating efforts to privatise state-owned companies, even amid the ongoing war, thus aiding their transition to private ownership.

A former businessman, Umerov actively participated in negotiations for prisoner exchanges and grain deals.

He remains actively involved in the Tatar Muslim community of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014.

Sergiy Leshchenko, an advisor to the presidential administration, noted, "It is the highest state position ever held by a Tatar from Crimea."

The Tatar community in Crimea has predominantly opposed Russia's annexation of the peninsula.

According to senior lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak's post on social media, 338 out of 360 present lawmakers voted in favour of Umerov's nomination.

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