Security Council secretary denies owning property in US amid allegations of undeclared real estate
National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and his family do not own and "have never owned any real estate" in the U.S., his press service told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Ukraine (RFE/RL) on Sept. 19.
The response came a day after the Kyiv-based Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC) published an investigation claiming that it had identified eight properties in the U.S. allegedly linked to Umerov’s family, including three apartments in Florida, one in New York, and four villas near Miami.
According to AntAC, the former defense minister and his relatives were registered at these addresses. However, Umerov’s asset declarations only mention one apartment in the U.S., which is allegedly rented by his wife, who lives in the U.S. with their three children, the watchdog said.
In its response, Umerov’s press office described the investigation as "manipulative," asserting that "there is no hidden property," and that all assets subject to declaration have been "disclosed in full compliance with legal requirements."
"The family business and operations in the United States were established and functioning long before Rustem Umerov began any public or political career — well before he was elected as a member of parliament, and even more so before his appointment as the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council," the statement read.
According to the press service, Umerov's family rents one apartment in the U.S., as mentioned in the secretary's official declarations. His parents and brother reportedly live in two other properties and pay for them independently, it said.
"The remaining properties mentioned in the publication have no connection — as of the reporting period — to the family, relatives, or Rustem Umerov himself," the statement read.
Umerov’s legal team is preparing a lawsuit "to protect the right to the truth," according to the press service.
The politician served as the head of the State Property Fund between 2022 and 2023, and then as the defense minister until the major government reshuffle earlier this year.
President Volodymyr Zelensky initially said Umerov was considered for the ambassadorial post in the U.S., but that position eventually went to another ex-Cabinet member, Olha Stefanishyna.
