President Zelenskyy Appoints Rustem Umerov as Head of Ukrainian Intelligence Service

Rustem Umerov. (Twitter/@rustem_umerov)

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Ukraine's chief peace negotiator to head foreign intelligence on Monday, the latest move in an ongoing shake-up that includes the replacement of the defense minister in July, which has sparked public anger.

President Zelensky said Rustem Umerov, who was transferred to the position of head of intelligence from his previous post as head of the Security Council of advisers, would remain responsible for peace negotiations, with the task of continuing to seek a diplomatic solution to end the war with Russia, as reported by Al Arabiya from Reuters (3/8).

Former Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko will take over as Head of the Security Council in place of Umerov.

President Zelensky has moved senior officials into a variety of key positions since last month's sudden cabinet purge that included the replacement of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

He was then forced to replace the supreme military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskiy, under public pressure.

The removal of Fedorov, a 35-year-old advocate of high-tech drone warfare, has triggered a storm of criticism, with his supporters taking to the streets to demand his reinstatement.

President Zelensky's reshuffle is widely seen as an ill-explained move, and he offered little justification on Monday for his latest move.

This ensures a post for Klymenko, who has been touted as a potential replacement for the defense minister but was not selected.

Meanwhile, President Zelensky's critics accuse him of constantly placing his closest people in important positions.

He said the goal of the overhaul, which he started in July, was to better prepare for another harsh winter as Russia is expected to massively attack Ukraine's energy system.

Umerov, who served as defense minister from 2023 to 2025, has led Ukraine's team in rounds of peace talks that have so far produced little tangible results.

He has also overseen negotiations on a drone deal that promotes Ukrainian technology that has proven itself in battle to its allies.