Umerov Appointed Head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service — Zelenskyy’s Decree
3 August 14:26
On Monday, August 3, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Rustem Umerov from his post as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and appointed him head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing the relevant decrees issued by the head of state.
“To dismiss Rustem Enverovich Umerov from the post of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine in accordance with his submitted resignation,” the presidential decree states.
In a separate decree, No. 695, Zelenskyy appointed Umerov as head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
“To appoint Rustem Enverovich Umerov as Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine,” the decree states.
Who headed the Foreign Intelligence Service before Umerov
Prior to Umerov, Oleg Lugovskyi served as the acting head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine; he was appointed to the position by Presidential Decree No. 100/2026 dated February 4, 2026. Prior to that, the agency was headed by Oleg Ivashchenko (from March 2024 to January 2026).
What Does the Foreign Intelligence Service Do?
The Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine leads an agency that:
- gathers intelligence abroad on military, political, economic, and other threats to Ukraine;
- organizes foreign intelligence activities and special intelligence operations;
- reports the information obtained to the president and other state leaders;
- ensures the protection of Ukraine’s national interests abroad.
Rustem Umerov: What Is Known About Him
Rustem Umerov was born in 1982 in the city of Bulungur, Samarkand Oblast, Uzbek SSR, to a family originally from Alushta (Crimea, Ukraine). He is an ethnic Crimean Tatar and a Muslim.
Rustem Umerov graduated from the Crimean Boarding Gymnasium for Gifted Children under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine. He was a scholarship recipient under the “Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program” in the United States.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in finance from the National Academy of Public Administration. As a student, he actively participated in various projects and student organizations: the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program, the U.S.-Ukraine Leadership Program, the European Youth Parliament, the European Student Forum AEGEE, the “Forum of the Future” Summit, and the European Law Students’ Association.
Rustem Umerov began his career at lifecell, holding various management positions from 2004 to 2010 (Head of the Individual Sales Department; Head of the Sales, Marketing, and Customer Relations Transformation Department; Head of the Procurement, Logistics, and Contract Management Department; and Head of GSM Network Development).
2010–2013: President of the charitable organization “Crimea Development Fund.”
In 2013, together with his brother Aslan, Omer Kirimli founded the investment company ASTEM and the charitable foundation ASTEM Foundation. ASTEM manages investments in the fields of communications, information technology, and infrastructure.
In 2017, Rustem Umerov helped secure the release of two Kremlin political prisoners—the Crimean Tatars Akhtem Chiygoz and Ilmi Umerov.
In 2019, he was elected as a People’s Deputy of the 9th convocation from the “Holos” party, listed as number 18 on the party list as an independent. He is a member of the faction of the same name.
Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Human Rights, De-occupation and Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, National Minorities, and Interethnic Relations.
Deputy Head of the Permanent Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Co-chair of the parliamentary friendship groups with Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Co-chair of the “Crimean Platform” parliamentary group in the Verkhovna Rada.
2020 — Joined the group tasked with developing a state strategy for the de-occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol under the National Security and Defense Council.
August 2021 — Awarded the Order “For Merit,” Third Class, by decree of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Since July 2022 — Elected Chair of the Temporary Investigative Commission on Monitoring the Receipt and Use of International Material and Technical Assistance During Martial Law.
In February 2022, he joined the Ukrainian delegation to participate in negotiations with the Russian Federation on the preparation and coordination of a draft treaty on security guarantees for Ukraine.
He worked on issues related to the exchange of prisoners of war, political prisoners, children, and civilians, as well as the evacuation of civilians from temporarily occupied territories.
On September 7, 2022, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Rustem Umerov, a People’s Deputy from the “Holos” faction, as head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine.
On September 4, 2023, Umerov submitted his resignation as head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine.
On September 6, 2023, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Rustem Umerov as Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
From September 6, 2023, to July 17, 2025, he served as Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
From July 18, 2025, Rustem Umerov served as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
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