Reznikov took charge of the ministry before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022
By Kehinde Okeowo
Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, has been relieved of his appointment by President Volodymyr Zelensky, as the country’s war with Russia enters the 19th month.
The President made the announcement recently on his official Telegram account, as the war nears two years.
He said: “I have decided to replace the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. Oleksii Reznikov has gone through more than 550 days of full-scale war. I believe that the Ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society at large. Now Rustem Umerov should lead the Ministry,”
The announcement came after two people were hospitalized following a 3½-hour Russian drone barrage on a port in Ukraine’s Odesa region on Sunday, officials said.
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Reznikov had been in charge of the ministry before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, but his dismissal has been anticipated for some time.
Last week, he told reporters that he was exploring other positions with the Ukrainian president.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has nominated Rustem Umerov, who is running Ukraine’s State Property Fund as the man to replace the sacked minister.
Umerov, 41, a politician with the opposition Holos party, has served as head of the State Property Fund since September 2022.
He was involved in the exchange of prisoners of war, political prisoners, children and civilians, as well as the evacuation of civilians from occupied territories.
Umierov was also part of the Ukrainian delegation in negotiations with Russia over the U.N.-backed grain deal.