Zelensky said in his nightly address that it was time for "new approaches" in the defense ministry. He praised Reznikov for his leadership during the ongoing Russian invasion, but said that the ministry needed to "evolve" to meet the challenges of the war.
Umerov is a deputy head of the permanent delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, a delegate of the Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar People, and an adviser to former Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People chair Mustafa Dzhemilev. Since December 2020, Umerov has co-chaired the Crimea Platform diplomatic initiative.
Reznikov has served as defense minister since November 2021. He was previously a deputy prime minister and minister for the reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
The dismissal of Reznikov comes amid a wider shake-up of the Ukrainian government. Zelensky has also dismissed the head of the security service and the prosecutor general.
The reasons for the dismissals are not clear, but they are seen as part of Zelensky's efforts to consolidate power and root out corruption.
Reznikov has not commented on his dismissal. However, Ukrainian media has speculated that he could be appointed as Kyiv's new ambassador to London.
The dismissal of Reznikov is a significant development in the ongoing war in Ukraine. It remains to be seen how Umerov will fare as defense minister and whether he will be able to meet the challenges of the war.
Oleksii Reznikov had been serving as the Minister of Defense of Ukraine since November 4, 2021. Prior to this role, he held positions such as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine.
He also served as deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration from 2016 to 2018 and held the position of deputy mayor-secretary of the Kyiv City Council from June 2014 to December 2015. (ILKHA)