While Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has resigned from his position, President Volodymyr Zelensky recommended to the Verkhovna Rada that he be succeeded by the current head of the State Property Fund, Rustem Umerov. Zelensky stated in a video message on Sunday evening (September 3) that the Ministry of Defense needs to adopt new methods and different forms of interaction with the army and society.

Umerov, 41, is a Crimean Tatar Muslim from the Crimea region and belongs to the opposition party Voice of the Voter. He has headed the National Real Estate Agency since September 2022. Since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war, he has participated in prisoner exchanges, civilian evacuations, and negotiations for the grain export agreement in the Black Sea. Zelensky expressed his expectation that the Ukrainian parliament, or the Verkhovna Rada, will soon approve Umerov's appointment.

Ukraine is also engaged in a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign while resisting the invasion. This is a necessary condition for joining the European Union and NATO, where Ukrainian media reported last month that the Ministry of Defense had purchased military supplies at inflated prices. Reznikov insisted that he had nothing to do with the matter.

Additionally, two hundred thousand Crimean Tatars were forcibly deported by the Soviet army during World War II, including Umerov's parents. Some analysts believe that his appointment demonstrates Ukraine's resolve to reclaim the Crimean Peninsula.

There are also unconfirmed reports suggesting the possibility of appointing Reznikov as Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom.