Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted a draft resolution to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, for the appointment of Rustem Umerov as defense minister.
Earlier today, parliament approved Oleksii Reznikov's resignation as defense minister. Reznikov had held the position since 2021 and had submitted his resignation to the Ukrainian parliament on Sept. 4.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his decision to dismiss Reznikov on the evening of Sept. 3, explaining that "the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction both with the military and with society as a whole."
Reznikov's tenure at the Defense Ministry has recently been marred by several scandals related to the procurement of equipment and supplies for Ukrainian soldiers.
@the_kyiv_independent On Sep. 4, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov submitted his resignation to the Ukrainian parliament after President Zelensky announced his dismissal yesterday. After the latest controversy concerning military jackets purchased for Ukraine's Armed Forces at an inflated price, Ukrainians have many opinions on Reznikov and corruption in Ukraine in general. We spoke with some Ukrainians about this. #ukraine #kyivindependent #independentjournalism #voxpop ♬ Lazy chill out, romance overseas celebrity, 10 minutes(1019319) - 8.864
During the same evening address, Zelensky said that Umerov, a former head of the State Property Fund, would be nominated as defense minister.
The Ukrainian parliament is expected to consider his candidacy on Sept. 6.
The Mejlis, the executive body representing Crimean Tatars, called on the Verkhovna Rada to approve Umerov.
Umerov comes from a Crimean Tatar family and has long advocated for Crimean Tatar rights.
Elsa Court
