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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appoints Rustem Umerov as head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service and Ihor Klymenko as NSDC Secretary

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree on August 3, appointing Rustem Umerov as the head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service. Umerov, who previously served as the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, will continue to coordinate the Drone Deal initiative and lead Ukraine's delegation in trilateral negotiations with Russia and the United States. In a separate decree, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Ihor Klymenko, the former Interior Minister, as the new Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, replacing Umerov. These appointments are part of a broader government reshuffle launched in July that has caused a political and military crisis. The reshuffle included the dismissal of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, which sparked nationwide protests. While Umerov has faced some procurement scandals and allegations of abuse of power, the administration maintains that he has the capacity to handle simultaneous diplomatic and defense tasks. The Foreign Intelligence Service has been without a permanent chief since January, and these new leadership roles are established to stabilize the country's leadership during the ongoing war.

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