Zelenskyy installs ex-defense minister Umierov to run Security Council
The man once in charge of defense now oversees war tech, arms deals, and talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Rustem Umierov to lead the country’s National Security and Defense Council. He takes over the Security Council after stepping down as defense minister in a wartime Cabinet reshuffle, and will now oversee arms deals, tech coordination, and peace negotiations.

Umierov replaces Lytvynenko in key wartime reshuffle

Zelenskyy signed the decree appointing Umierov secretary of the Security Council on 18 July, according to the presidential website. He replaces Oleksandr Lytvynenko, who had held the position since 26 March and is now reportedly being considered for an ambassadorial role in Serbia, Forbes reports, citing a government source speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Yuliia Svyrydenko was appointed Prime Minister, with new ministers named across the government. Zelenskyy emphasized that the new cabinet must ensure Ukraine’s defenders have confidence in reliable supply, and that boosting internal economic potential would support that goal.

Weapons, tech, and coordination now fall under Umierov

In a post on X, Umierov confirmed his appointment and outlined his top priorities in his new role.

“Coordination and control of the security and defense sector,” he wrote, adding that an audit will be conducted on the implementation of decisions made by the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

He pledged to coordinate all arms deliveries, joint production, and sensitive international defense partnerships.

“I remain in constant dialogue with our international partners,” he said, referring to critical yet discreet defense agreements.

Umierov also stated he would fully restore the operation of the Technological Command Post to accelerate front-line modernization and battlefield tech innovation. One of the primary missions now under his oversight is the synchronized execution of orders across all components of Ukraine’s defense system.

Umierov to run Security Council and peace track

Umierov’s responsibilities also include overseeing the negotiation track.

“Ukraine consistently advocates for a just peace — and we are working to achieve it in close coordination with our allies,” he wrote.

RFE/RL reports that Zelenskyy met with Umierov on 18 July to discuss the new leadership tasks. Among the key priorities mentioned by the president was “more dynamics” in implementing the agreements with Russia reached during the second summit in Istanbul.

Zelenskyy also tasked Umierov with continuing weapons coordination with Ukraine’s partners, fully implementing all supply agreements, and advancing new projects for joint arms production and defense manufacturing facilities on partner territory.

According to the president’s office, Umierov is expected to strengthen the format of the technological headquarters, enforce decisions delayed in execution, and ensure full compliance across the defense and security sectors.

Ukraine’s parliament approved a broad slate of ministerial appointments, finalizing a sweeping Cabinet reshuffle that began earlier in the day with the elevation of Yulia Svyrydenko to the post of Prime Minister. Svyrydenko, who served as deputy to Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak in 2020–21, is widely viewed by political analysts as closely aligned with him.

While new officials are stepping into top roles, the balance of power remains firmly centralized. With elections suspended under martial law and political life dominated by Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s executive branch continues to operate with little political competition. The reshuffle marks an internal realignment of trusted figures—not a shift in direction or control.

Shmyhal moves to defense as ministries merge

Among the most significant changes, former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has been appointed Minister of Defense, with support from 267 lawmakers. A trained economist with no prior defense experience, Shmyhal takes over as Ukraine ramps up domestic arms production to meet wartime demands.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instructed him to increase the share of Ukrainian-made weapons used at the front to 50% within six months, up from the current 40%.

In tandem, the Ministry for Strategic Industries, formed in 2020 to oversee defense-related manufacturing, has been dissolved and absorbed by the Defense Ministry. Its former head Herman Smetanin will return to lead Ukroboronprom, Ukraine’s state defense conglomerate.

Economy ministry gains power under Sobolev

Prime Minister Svyrydenko, previously Ukraine’s economy chief, has consolidated control over the economic bloc. The Ministry of Economy will now absorb the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and the Ministry of Environmental Resources, recreating a short-lived “super ministry” model used in 2019–20.

Oleksiy Sobolev, a former deputy economy minister and head of Prozorro.Sale, now leads the Ministry of Economy. Prozorro.Sale is a state-run electronic auction system used for the transparent sale of public assets, including state property and insolvent bank assets.

The merger, however, has drawn sharp criticism from agriculture groups, who argue the sector is too important to be subordinated. They warn that agriculture generates 15% of GDP, accounts for 60% of foreign currency inflows, and is vital to economic resilience.

Unity ministry scrapped after corruption probe

The newly created Ministry of National Unity, which existed for just six months, has been formally dissolved. Its head Oleksiy Chernyshov was recently charged in a high-profile corruption case and released on 120 million UAH bail ($3 million).

The ministry had long faced skepticism due to its vague mission and limited practical output. Its functions are expected to be absorbed by the Ministry of Social Policy or one of its agencies.

Other key appointments

In addition to the Defense and Economy portfolios, parliament approved several other high-level appointments:

• Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation since 2019 and a longtime ally of President Zelenskyy, was promoted to First Deputy Prime Minister.
• Herman Halushchenko, previously Energy Minister, becomes Minister of Justice.
• Svitlana Hrynchuk, his former deputy, is now Minister of Energy.
• Denys Uliutin, a finance technocrat, takes over as Minister of Social Policy. His appointment has faced criticism — including from MPs in the ruling party — due to his lack of experience in social welfare.
• Taras Kachka, a trade negotiator and deputy economy minister, becomes Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, replacing Olha Stefanishyna, who is slated to become Ambassador to the US.

Ministers retaining their posts

Several ministers will remain in their current positions:

• Oleksiy Kuleba – Deputy PM for Regional Development
• Ihor Klymenko – Minister of Internal Affairs
• Serhii Marchenko – Minister of Finance
• Oksen Lisovyi – Minister of Education
• Viktor Liashko – Minister of Health
• Matviy Bidnyi – Minister of Youth and Sports
• Nataliia Kalmykova – Minister for Veterans Affairs
• Andriy Sybiha – Minister of Foreign Affairs (confirmed in a separate vote)

The position of Minister of Culture remains unfilled, with deliberations ongoing.

Ukraine’s smallest cabinet on record

With the restructuring, the Cabinet now includes just 16 members, excluding the unfilled culture portfolio. By comparison, Viktor Yanukovych’s government once included 27 ministers. This makes the current lineup likely the most compact government in Ukraine’s modern history.

Whether this consolidation will improve functionality is unclear. Ukraine has seen multiple cycles of ministry mergers and divisions over the past two decades, with no lasting administrative model. For now, efficiency appears to take priority, as the government adapts its structure to wartime needs.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told ministers to boost local arms from 40% to 50% within six months as part of a wartime strategy to strengthen Ukraine’s military self-reliance. He outlined the directive during a major speech before parliament, following the formal approval of a reshuffled Cabinet of Ministers on 17 July.

Zelenskyy tasks new cabinet with weapons overhaul

Addressing lawmakers and the new Cabinet, Zelenskyy noted:

“We are transforming the management of the defense sector and weapons production in such a way that, in six months, the share of specifically Ukrainian-made weapons available to our soldiers will significantly increase. Currently, about 40% of all weapons in the hands of our soldiers are made in Ukraine. In six months, it must be no less than 50%,” Zelenskyy said. 

He emphasized that boosting domestic arms production was essential in a global environment where attention to Russia-Ukraine’s war is being diluted by other crises.

Ministers told to audit defense deals

Zelenskyy also instructed the reshuffled cabinet to carry out a full audit of all existing defense-related agreements and commitments. These include international partnerships, production deals, memorandums, and resilience programs.

The president stressed that these agreements must be implemented “100% in the interests of Ukraine.” 

New prime minister confirmed

During the 17 July parliamentary session, lawmakers approved Zelenskyy’s nominee for prime minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko. Before the reshuffle, she served as Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

Most ministers either retained their roles or were reassigned to new posts. The president called for immediate implementation of the new government program and said results must be delivered “daily.”

Ukraine's current ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, will be replaced in the near future, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed in an interview with Ukrainian Radio on July 8.

Earlier on July 8, a source in the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent that President Volodymyr Zelensky had informed Markarova of her pending dismissal.

"We can expect about 20 decrees dismissing and appointing new heads of foreign institutions," Sybiha said, specifically mentioning the U.S. as one of the planned replacements.

In his comments, Sybiha described Markarova as "one of our most successful ambassadors."

"She is extremely effective and charismatic, but surely every diplomat has a rotation cycle," he said. "I can confirm that the Ukrainian president's vision is to carry out rotations in all countries, both G7 and G20. That is, first and foremost, to strengthen these countries, in particular the U.S. track."

Zelensky and Sybiha on June 21 announced plans to overhaul Ukraine's diplomatic corps, teasing major personnel changes in a bid to secure better military aid packages and other support from international partners.

Zelensky discussed replacing Markarova specifically in a recent phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, a source in the President's Office told the Kyiv Independent on July 7.

There are multiple "strong candidates" in the running to replace Markarova, the source said. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko are among the candidates, Bloomberg previously reported.

In his evening address, Zelensky said that a meeting with all Ukrainian ambassadors is scheduled for July 21. It was not immediately clear as to when the changes to the posts may take effect.

Markarova has served as Kyiv's ambassador to Washington since April 2021, and played a central role in coordinating U.S. military and financial support during the early phases of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The announcement of her dismissal comes at a high-stakes moment in relations between Kyiv and Washington. The U.S. Defense Department recently paused shipments of critical weapons systems, including Patriot air defense missiles and precision-guided munitions, even as Ukraine faces intensifying Russian attacks.

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The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir