Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appoints Rustem Umerov to lead foreign intelligence agency

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially appointed Rustem Umerov as the new head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (SSRU), according to a decree published on the presidential website.

Umerov previously served as Ukraine's Minister of Defense from 2023 to 2025 before taking on the role of secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. In his security council position, he acted as Kyiv's primary negotiator during diplomatic discussions involving representatives from both the United States and Russia.

The leadership change places an experienced negotiator with a background in defense and strategic affairs at the helm of Ukraine's external intelligence agency.

Sources: Die Zeit.