Zelenskyy turns to trusted ally Umerov for defence clean-up

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Rustem Umerov was recognized for his exemplary management of Ukraine’s state property agency during his tenure. As Ukraine’s incoming defense minister, the Muslim politician, activist and former businessman faces an even bigger challenge: boosting public confidence in a defense establishment tainted by allegations of corruption.

As the country prepares for a protracted war with Russia, activists, former officials and government figures say Umerov’s appointment – which still needs to be approved by parliament – is a clever move by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who Efforts have been stepped up to eradicate Umerov. Eliminate corruption.

Vitaliy Shabunin, chairman of Kiev’s anti-corruption watchdog AntAC, said Umerov’s appointment was “probably the best decision for the president”.

Referring to Umerov’s record at the state asset management agency, which was once known as a hotbed of corruption, Shabnin wrote on Facebook: “The best indicator of a person’s behavior in a future position is his performance in a position.”

Shabunin and other anticorruption activists have sharply criticized outgoing Defense Secretary Oleksiy Reznikov’s handling of allegations of corrupt military procurement practices.

Local media claimed earlier this year that defense officials were trying to profit from high prices for soldiers’ food and uniforms. Reznikov’s initial reaction to the overpriced eggs scandal was that those who exposed alleged crimes were undermining public confidence in the military.

Reznikov, an affable former lawyer who takes over as defense minister in November 2021, has shown no sign of personal involvement in corruption. Although some officials were fired, no charges were brought against any of them.

But Zelensky fired Reznikov late Sunday, saying the Defense Department needed “new methods and other forms of interaction with the military and society at large.”

Umerov, 41, is the son of Crimean Tatars who were deported to Uzbekistan under Soviet rule but returned to Crimea after Ukraine gained independence. He was a successful businessman and Tatar rights activist before being elected to parliament in 2019 for the reformist opposition Holos. He became part of Zelensky’s inner circle and was entrusted with participating in the failed peace talks with Russian officials following a full-scale Moscow invasion.

People familiar with Umerov said he had developed close ties with the Turkish leadership, as well as with countries in the Middle East and some Western allies.

Zelensky’s team hopes Umerov will use his skills to improve DoD management and increase procurement transparency — even if they are skeptical of the corruption allegations.

Serhiy Leshchenko, an adviser to Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, said a leadership change was needed to “improve communication on sensitive topics within society” and restart the “trust”.

In addition to allegations of corruption, the Department of Defense has been plagued by negative publicity over the recruitment process. Zelensky recently fired dozens of recruiting chiefs following reports that some paid bribes to avoid drafting. Other reports have highlighted incidents of excessive use of force to recruit soldiers.

Leshchenko also noted that Umerov’s Crimean Tatar ethnic group sent an “uncompromising message” to Russia about Kiev’s intentions to liberate the peninsula and the occupied southeastern regions, which together account for 30 percent of the country’s territory. About 18%.

The department’s reshuffle comes at a critical time. Minor progress in a long-awaited summer counteroffensive has dented Western confidence in Ukraine’s military prospects — despite Ukrainian officials recently claiming to have breached the first of several Russian lines of defense in the country’s south.

The Ukrainian Army General Staff operates independently under the overall command of Zelensky, coordinating military strategy and combat operations. But the Ministry of Defense plays a key role in procuring weapons and mobilizing troops.

Former economy minister Timofey Milovanov said on social media platform X that, in addition to restoring public confidence in defense procurement, Umerov also needs to accelerate the adoption of new military technologies by state defense production agencies.

Umerov may find that pressing Western allies to provide more weapons remains a key part of his new role.

Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine’s former defense minister and current government security adviser, paid tribute to Reznikov for securing international support for Ukraine during its “worst crisis”.

“After the president, he’s a major figure in making it happen.”

Reznikov, the incoming Ukrainian ambassador to Britain, reportedly credited himself for his contribution to securing $100 billion in foreign military aid and weapons in his resignation letter on Monday.

He noted that Ukraine’s request to buy Stinger anti-aircraft missiles was rejected just months before a full-scale Russian invasion. “We’ve come a long way,” Reznikoff wrote.

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