Rustem Enverovich Umerov – Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (July 2025 – present), People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the IX convocation (2019-2022), Head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (2022-2023), Minister of Defense of Ukraine (2023 – 2025).
Place of Birth, Education
He was born on April 19, 1982 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
On May 18, 1944, the Umerov family was forcibly deported from their historical homeland, Crimea, to Siberia and Central Asia. After half a century of living in exile and the beginning of the repatriation of the Crimean Tatars, in the late 1980s – early 1990s, the Umerov family was able to return to their native Crimea.
Umerov completed his studies at the Crimean boarding school for gifted children, which functioned under the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in Ukraine. In his youth, he became a member of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), which is organized by the United States of America (USA).
He received his higher education at the National Academy of Management, first receiving a bachelor’s degree in Economics, and later a master’s degree in Finance.
Career
In the period from 2004 to 2010, Umerov held a number of senior positions at lifecell. Among them were: the head of the individual sales department, the head of transformation in sales, marketing and customer relations, as well as the head of the department responsible for procurement, logistics and contract management. In addition, he was engaged in the development of a GSM cellular network.
In 2013, he founded the investment company ASTEM. The company specialized in investment management in the fields of communication, information technology, and infrastructure projects.
Political Activities
In the period from 2019 to 2022, Umerov was a people’s deputy, representing the political party “Holos”.
He served as Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Human Rights, Deoccupation and Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories in Donetsk and Luhansk Regions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the City of Sevastopol, and also dealt with issues of national minorities and interethnic relations.
In addition, he served as Deputy Head of the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
In 2020, Umerov became a member of the working group on the development of a state strategy for the de-occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC).
In February 2022, he became a member of the Ukrainian delegation to participate in negotiations with the Russian Federation (RF), which were aimed at preparing and agreeing on a draft treaty on security guarantees for Ukraine.
In July 2022, he was elected chairman of the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada on Monitoring the Receipt and Use of International Logistical Assistance during Martial Law.
From September 7, 2022 to September 5, 2023, Umerov headed the State Property Fund of Ukraine.
Since September 6, 2023, he has served as Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
On July 16, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed the government of Denys Shmyhal , and two days later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Rustem Umerov Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.
Marital Status
Married. He has three children.
