Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a significant announcement on Sunday regarding a new appointment in the defense ministry. Defense minister Oleksii Reznikov will be replaced by Rustem Umerov, a politician of Crimean Tatar descent. The decision to change leadership was deemed necessary by President Zelenskyy after enduring a “full-scale war” for over 550 days. During his address, Zelenskyy emphasized the need for new approaches in the defense ministry and hinted at different ways of interacting with both the military and society. He expressed his confidence in Umerov, noting that he requires no additional introduction as the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is familiar with him. Zelenskyy requested support for Umerov’s candidacy from the parliament.
Rustem Umerov has been serving as Ukraine’s State Property Fund head since September 2022 and is affiliated with Holos, an opposition party in Ukraine. Throughout the war, Umerov played a crucial role in evacuating Ukrainian citizens from Russian-occupied territories and facilitating prisoner exchanges.
The decision to replace Reznikov comes after the Ministry of Defense faced scrutiny for its procurement of military jackets in August. Ukrainian journalists alleged that the jackets were procured at a higher cost of $86 per unit, instead of the usual price of $29. Furthermore, they claimed that summer jackets were ordered instead of winter ones. Reznikov refuted these allegations.
In a prior interview with Fox News Digital, Reznikov stated that he would not engage in discussions with Russian officials unless Ukraine’s original borders were restored.
It is important to note that the content in this report is supported by The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Greg Palkot.
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