Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky don sack im Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov from im post.
Di kontri leader wey announce di sack on Sunday say na time for “new approaches” for di defence ministry.
Oga Reznikov bin lead di ministry since before Russia full-scale invasion for February 2022 start.
Di president don nominate Rustem Umerov, wey dey run Ukraine State Property Fund as oga Reznikov successor.
“I believe say di ministry need new approaches plus oda formats of interaction wit both di military and society as a whole,” di Ukrainian president tok for im address from di capital Kyiv.
Ukrainian media dey reason say oga Reznikov go become Kyiv new ambassador for London, wia e don develop good relations wit senior politicians.
Di 57-year-old don become popular since di war for Ukraine start. Dem sabi am wel-well for international level as e dey regularly attend meetings wit Ukraine western allies and don play key role in lobbying for additional military equipment.
But dis im sack no come to am as surprise. Oga Reznikov bin tell tori pipo last week say im dey explore oda positions wit di Ukrainian president.
According to local media, di former defence minister tok say if oga Zelensky give am opportunity to work on anoda project, im go gree.
Reznikov sack dey come inside one big anti-corruption drive for oga Zelensky administration.
Although Reznikov no dey personally accused of corruption, however tori about scandals dey for di ministry of defence wey involve di procurement of goods and equipment for di army at inflated prices.
Earlier dis year, oga Reznikov deputy, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, bin resign as tori of di scandal dey spread. Tori bi say na small Mr Reznikov bin take hold on to im own post.
Who be Rustem Umerov?
Rustem Umerov, wey dey ready to replace Oleksii Reznikov as Ukraine defence minister, get history of holding key negotiations wit Russia.
E bin represent im kontri for peace talks for di beginning of Moscow full-scale invasion for 2022.
Na key pesin e be wen e come to securing safe repatriation of high-profile prisoners, and don participate for negotiations to ensure di safe export of Ukrainian grain through di Black Sea.
E be leading member of di Crimean Tatar community, one Turkic population wey be indigene of di Crimean peninsular, oga Umerov also don become central figure for President Volodymyr Zelenksy outreach initiatives to Islamic kontris.
Dem born am for 1982 for Samarkand, Soviet Uzbekistan – where im Muslim family bin dey exiled along wit 200,000 Tatars during di rule of Joseph Stalin.
E bin return back to Ukraine wen dem allow Tatars to return for di 1980s and 1990s.
Oga Umerov hold bachelor degree in economics and master’s degree in finance. Di 41-year-old bin start im career for di telecoms industry.
For 2013, e establish di investment company ASTEM and one charity programme wey dem set up to train Ukrainian politicians, lawyers and community leaders for Stanford University for di US.
Dem elect am to Ukrainian parliament for 2019, and dem later make am head of di State Property Fund – one goment agency wey dey sell state assets to private investors. One role wey many pipo see as challenging sake of di corruption wey dey di privatisation sector.
For many years, e work as adviser to di historic leader of di Crimean Tatars, Mustafa Dzhemilev. E also work as di co-chair of di Crimea Platform, one international diplomatic initiative wey focus on negotiating wit Russia following dia 2014 occupation of di peninsula.
Di former lawmaker bin allegedly suffer from symptoms of suspected poisoning during one peace negotiations for March 2022 and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich wey also be part of di negotiating party. For one statement e post on Facebook, e later deny di tori and tell pipo say make dem no trust “unverified information”.
E tell BBC dat time say e take courage to find solutions but im dey determined “to find [a] political and diplomatic resolution to dis brutal invasion”.
For im televised address to di kontri on Sunday, President Zelensky confam say im go ask for parliamentary approval to make oga Umerov im new defence minister.
E say di ministry “require fresh approaches and new modes of engagement wit both di military and society at large.”
