Earlier this evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that defence minister Oleksii Reznikov will be replaced this week with Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar politician.

Mr Umerov, 41, is a member of the opposition Holos party and has held the position of the Head of Ukraine’s State Property Fund since September 2022. 

He has played a significant role in various humanitarian efforts, including the exchange of prisoners of war, political detainees, children, and civilians, as well as the evacuation of civilians from occupied areas. 

Mr Umerov has also been a key member of the Ukrainian delegation engaged in negotiations with Russia concerning the UN-supported grain agreement.

He serves as the deputy head of the permanent delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, representing the Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar People, and acts as an adviser to the former Chair of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Mustafa Dzhemilev. 

Since December 2020, Umerov has taken on the role of co-chairing the Crimea Platform diplomatic initiative.