The President of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelenski, has decided to do without one of the key men of his Government in the midst of the war with Russia, which has lasted for more than 18 months. On Sunday he announced in his late-night video speech that he will propose to the Rada (unicameral parliament) the dismissal of Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov. And Reznikov, for his part, assured this Monday that he has already formalized his resignation.
“I have sent my letter of resignation to Ruslan Stefantchuk, speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament,” Reznikov reported on the X social network (formerly Twitter). “It has been an honor to serve the Ukrainian people and to work for the Ukrainian army during the last 22 months, the most difficult period in the modern history of Ukraine,” he added.
Reznikov has headed the Ukrainian Defense Ministry since 2021. Zelensky explained the change ambiguously, saying that “new approaches” are needed. His replacement could respond to a desire to reorganize Ukrainian troops within the framework of the current counteroffensive to expel Russian troops from the country.
In Russia, substitution is related to the course of the conflict. It is related, the head of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, assured Ría Nóvosti on Monday, with the failure of the counteroffensive by Ukrainian troops.
“These movements indicate that they are not achieving the objectives of the praised counteroffensive,” Konstantinov commented, in line with the Kremlin’s position. Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the Ukrainian counter-offensive had failed.
Kyiv launched its counter-offensive in early June and has admitted it is going “slower” than it would like.
But the truth is that the possible resignation of Reznikov has been discussed since February, due to a corruption scandal. Then, purchasing products for the military at inflated prices meant that several high-ranking officials in that department lost their jobs.
Several members of Zelensky’s party, Servant of the People, then said Reznikov’s replacement was done. But the interested party himself denied any involvement in cases of corruption in Army contracts and assured that the Ukrainian president himself asked him to remain in his position.
During his message this Sunday, Zelensky proposed that instead of Reznikov, now yes, former deputy Rustem Umerov, 41, who currently heads the State Property Fund, be appointed.
Reznikov must leave his post because the department needs “new approaches and other formats of interaction, both with the military and with society in general,” Zelensky said. “Now the ministry should be headed by Rustem Umerov. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine knows this man well, so he needs no further introductions. I hope that parliament will support this candidacy,” he added.
Rustem Umerov was born into a family of Crimean Tatars deported in 1982 to Samarkand (Uzbekistan, then one of the member republics of the Soviet Union). After repatriation, he graduated from the Crimean gymnasium, receiving a scholarship in the American program “Future Leaders Exchange.” He earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a master’s degree in finance from the National Academy of Administration of Ukraine.
In the early 2000s, he practiced law. In 2013, together with her brother, she founded the ASTEM investment company and the ASTEM Charitable Foundation. In 2019 he was elected deputy of the Verkhovna Rada from the Golos (voice) party. Since 2022 he has chaired the State Property Fund of Ukraine, which implements state policy in the spheres of privatization, rental, use and disposal of state property or management of state property.
He was also an adviser to Mustafa Dzhemilev, head of the Majlis (assembly) of the Crimean Tatar people and in the spring of last year he was part of the Ukrainian delegation for the frustrated peace negotiations with Russia.
