President Zelensky confirmed Umerov’s new role overseeing the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Rustem Umerov will head the Foreign Intelligence Service, where he will coordinate new drone agreements. These agreements, labeled as Drone Deals, are already in place with nine countries, while negotiations are ongoing with an additional 15. The partnerships focus on exporting Ukrainian drones and integrating drone defense technologies into the military systems of partner nations.
“Umerov will not only oversee this initiative but will also manage communications with the United States and diplomatic relations,” Zelensky stated.
In addition, Umerov will handle discussions with the U.S. and other diplomatic engagements.
Zelensky also revealed that former Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko will become the new Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC). “He has exceptional experience coordinating the security sector, and his work last winter was crucial for our resilience and support to our people,” added the president.
Contextually, Zelensky had previously considered Klymenko for the Minister of Defense position to replace the dismissed Mykhailo Fedorov. However, on July 17, he proposed Klymenko for the NSDC secretary role.
On July 23, Zelensky announced he had further proposals for Umerov’s role but did not disclose details at that time. The following day, he noted that Umerov would concentrate on international communication, negotiations, and the development of security cooperation, while also implementing the Drone Deals and Ukraine’s Freyja anti-ballistic program.
Prior media reports suggested that Umerov was a leading candidate for the position of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States.
