“Defense Minister Rustem Umerov may be sent to the United States Ambassador. Such a personnel decision is considered by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This statement of the President to some extent removed the intrigue about the removal of Umerov from the defense department, as well as on who will replace Oksana Markarov’s ambassador. Previously called several government cusaders, including the present prime minister”, – WRITE ON: ua.news
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov may be sent to the United States Ambassador. Such a personnel decision is considered by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This statement of the President to some extent removed the intrigue about the removal of Umerov from the defense department, as well as on who will replace Oksana Markarov’s ambassador. Previously called several government cusaders, including the current Prime Minister Denis Shmigal.
UA.News tells about the possible causes of this decision: diplomatic background Umerov, suspicions of corruption and why experts call the defense agency the “Ministry of Chaos”.
Umerov at the head of the Ministry of Defense
In September 2023, Rustem Umerov replaced the post of Minister of Defense Alexei Reznikov and had to restore public confidence in the department that was stuck in corruption scandals. Before that, Umerov gained the image of an effective manager and anti -corruption officer, heading the State Property Fund.
In addition, the President’s office pointed to Umerov’s diplomatic ties. Prior to his appointment, he had already had a talented coherent, who maintained numerous contacts in Europe, the USA and the Middle East. In particular, he participated in the negotiations on the exchange of prisoners and with his help returned the defenders of “Azovstal”. Subsequently, the Minister of Defense Umerov was instructed to head the delegation of Ukraine in negotiations with the Russians in Istanbul.
He had to act as a diplomat at the Ramstein format as a head of the Ministry of Defense. With the participation of Umerov, several coalitions of souzing countries for military assistance of Ukraine in the fields of air defense, artillery, armored vehicles, drones, maritime security, as well as an IT coalition for digital defense were established.
Umerov’s leadership was created a state rear operator, which was responsible for defense reforms, transparency of transactions and launching a modern Dot -chain IT system. And in January 2024, Marina Bezrukov was appointed director of the State Enterprise “Defense Procurement Agency” (AOP). AOP was created in 2022, under the former Minister of Reznikov, following the example of the logistics organization NSPA (NATO Support and Procurement Agency) and was to prevent corruption. The appointment of Bezrukov was approved by anti -corruption experts and Western partners of Kiev.
In September 2024, the Ministry of Defense stated that they plan to unite the state rear operator (DOT) and the Defense Procurement Agency (AOP). In May 2025, Umerov signed a decree on the establishment of a commission for the reorganization of these purchasing agencies. He stated that the department is working on synchronization of approaches and forms a new model of providing the army.
Conflict with the Director of the Defense Agency
In January 2025, it became known that the Defense Ministry would not continue the contract with Marina Bezruk. Although the AOO Supervisory Board continued with her a contract for another year. Umerov instead appointed the director of AOP of the head of the state operator of the rear Arsen Zhumadilov. At the same time, two representatives of the state – Yuri Jigir and Taras Chmut – were withdrawn from the Supervisory Board.
Rustem Umerov then explained the release of Bezrukova’s desire to stop the “leaks of information” and “political games”.
On his social network page he wrote : “The only criterion that the Ministry of Defense puts in front of AOP is in time, and to fully provide the front with all the necessary weapons. Unfortunately, in the last half of a year, instead of timely provision of ammunition army, we have received political games, “showers” of contracts and information (law enforcement officers will definitely check these facts), PR inaction and failure to fulfill the CRI subordinate by the IUU enterprise. “
This decision caused a wave of criticism against Umerov. The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Anti -Corruption Policy Anastasia Radin against the background of the scandal between the Ministry of Defense and the Defense Procurement Agency stated that Umerov should resign, since his actions “destroy the reform of defense procurement and mean manual interference in procurement.”
According to Radina, the Minister clearly showed that the heads of purchasing agencies can indicate the exit at any time.
“The minister who violates the law; which by its decisions continues unfulfilled armed contracts; In the Ministry of which as of November 2024, the DVTP internal department, which, in parallel with AOP, was not maintaining armed contracts, did not ensure the execution of more than half of the contracts (concluded in 2022-2023); which cannot simplify the contracting bureaucracy and destroys the confidence of the belligerent country in the Ministry of Defense – also has to apply for resignation ”, – She stressed Radina.
Responding to the incident with the management of the Defense Procurement Agency, the Corruption Center filed an application for Umerov to NABU, accusing him of abuse.
January 29 2025 NABU reported which initiated criminal proceedings on possible abuse of power or office by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov. At the same time, the bureau was reminded of the presumption of innocence of Umerov.
“Pursuant to part one of Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent in committing a crime and cannot be criminal punish – NABU noted.
Rustem Umerov did not comment on NABU’s actions on criminal proceedings.
It should be noted that the dispute between Umerov and Bezrukova happened just when US President Donald Trump was looking at US support for the Armed Forces, and Kiev tried to convince his Western partners that he was winning total corruption.
The Management Style and Image Minister Umerov
According to the results research The Institute of Mass Media, which was published in June this year, has increased significantly. This brought Umerov into one of the most prominent media positions among officials. At the same time, experts noticed that the proportion of positive publications increased by more than a third, and the negative of Umerov has almost disappeared.
Although the Ministry of Defense does not take the problem of the army into the public space, it is not an important indicator of its activity, says the head of the Foundation “return alive” Taras Chmut. According to him, “from the fact that you comment on the problem or not comment – the problem does not disappear.” Instead, he emphasizes the absence of an institution’s construction strategy, including management in the same Defense Ministry “holds on several strong deputies.”
“Before that the ministry was held in Ivanov Havrylyuk, which was the first lock and, unfortunately, was removed. Honey is kept at the expense of digitalization, which is carried out by Kateryna Chernororenko (Deputy Minister of Defense – Ed.) And her team. And this is somewhere – the biggest achievements of the ministry … The minister is more abroad than here. And deals with more international issues than the control of his department, priority in the conditions of war, ”, – He noticed Taras Chmut in an interview with UP.
Earlier, Umerov’s management style was written by experts of the Center for Combating Corruption, the New Europe Center and the Victory Drones (Dignitas BF). They declared the inability of the Ministry of Defense to work properly, as the department is managed by a group of business partners Rustem Umerov. In addition, according to experts, the problem of chaotic and unsystematic management was not resolved by the Minister, but became a new culture.
“The Ministry of Defense, with full resources, support of the government and parliament, civil society and international donors, goes” on crutches “because the minister is not deepened, does not understand and manage personally. Umerov himself does not hide this and calls this style of “delegation of responsibility”, – it was Investigation public organizations.
According to experts, this is the “delegation” of powers that the Ministry of Defense had to be withdrawn from the front of at least 100 thousand mines of domestic production, which were defective.