Kyiv Shoots Down Claims Umerov Stayed Abroad Amid Fresh Defense Scandals

Reports circulated Monday claiming that Rustem Umerov – the former defense minister now serving as secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) – had stayed abroad to avoid a looming defense probe by the country’s anti-graft agency.

However, a government-affiliated agency quickly dismissed the claims.

Multiple outlets, including the Turkish-based account Clash Report, claimed on Monday that Umerov had “refused to return to Ukraine” amid the corruption scandal surrounding businessman Timur Mindich – a longtime associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to those reports, Umerov had allegedly told Zelensky he would not return and had abruptly departed for Turkey under the pretext of negotiating prisoner exchanges.

The timing fueled speculation online as it coincided with Umerov’s statement that Ukraine was working toward a large-scale swap of 1,200 prisoners by the end of the year.

Before becoming secretary of the NSDC, Umerov served as Ukraine’s minister of defense, overseeing the sector now under heightened scrutiny.

Both the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have hinted that the next wave of investigations might hit the defense sector, with Umerov having been the subject of another NABU investigation in early 2025.

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However, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) dismissed the latest claims, calling them a deliberate attempt to destabilize public trust.

In an official statement, the CCD said the allegations circulating online do not correspond to reality.

The CCD said Umerov is on a planned official trip to the US, not Turkey, as of Monday for a series of high-level consultations aimed at strengthening international support for Ukraine, adding that Umerov is in constant contact with Ukraine’s leadership and continues to oversee key matters of security, defense and humanitarian policy.

The CCD urged locals and media outlets not to amplify unverified claims, which it said “mislead society and serve the interests of hostile information operations against Ukraine.”

Clash Report later wrote that “sources speaking to Clash Report say there is no truth to the claim that Rustem Umerov does not plan to return to Ukraine,” adding that, “he will indeed return.”

Kyiv Post has reached out to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War for comments regarding the results of the prisoner talks Umerov mentioned over the weekend. 

Kyiv Post has not received a response at the time of publication.