Trump's involvement is undeniable: what lies behind the controversies surrounding Rustem Umerov?

In the past week, significant events have unfolded around Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, which could greatly impact the future of the defense ministry and the overall situation in the country. Against the backdrop of the war with Russia and heightened scrutiny of military procurement, the head of the defense agency has found himself at the center of scandals involving personnel changes, investigations by anti-corruption bodies, and potential attempts to remove him from office.

Personnel Changes in the Ministry of Defense

On January 24, Rustem Umerov announced the dismissal of his deputy, Dmitry Klimenkov, and the replacement of the leadership of the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) — he did not renew the contract with director Marina Bezrukova. Umerov also dismissed two members of the Supervisory Board who supported her candidacy, namely Taras Chmut, director of the "Come Back Alive" fund, and former deputy minister of defense Yuri Dzhigira.

"The procurement of weapons, which should be confidential during martial law and the full-scale war with Russia, has somehow turned into 'Amazon', where every internet user can see in real-time who is buying what, in what quantities, and from which manufacturers. Yet, our defenders at the front have not felt the scale of these purchases, which would at least be comparable to the media PR," — thus explained his decisions the minister.

In turn, the CPC noted that the DPA's charter provides for the establishment of a Supervisory Board, and thus the Ministry of Defense does not have the authority to not renew the contract with the current head of the DPA. Furthermore, according to the Law "On the Management of State Property," such authority belongs solely to the Supervisory Board.

On January 27, it became known that Umerov initiated an internal investigation at the Defense Procurement Agency — the only structure of the Ministry of Defense procuring military equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and nevertheless removed its head, Marina Bezrukova. The acting head appointed was the current head of the State Logistics Operator (GOT), Arsen Zhumadilov.

Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption Policy Committee of the Verkhovna Rada, Anastasia Radina, stated that the Minister of Defense should resign due to the scandal surrounding the Defense Procurement Agency and interference in the work of the DPA's Supervisory Board.

A few days later, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) registered proceedings against the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, on the grounds of abuse of power.

The proceedings were registered following a statement from the "Center for Countering Corruption," which was submitted on January 27, regarding possible illegal actions by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, particularly the potential commission of a criminal offense under part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of office).

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine also noted that based on the results of the statement review, "a decision was made in accordance with Article 214 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine to enter information into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations and a pre-trial investigation was initiated in the criminal proceedings dated 27.01.2025 with preliminary legal qualification under part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine."

"Manual Management" of Umerov: What’s Wrong with the Minister's Decisions

According to the decision of the Supervisory Board, there were no complaints about Ms. Bezrukova's work, and therefore her continued tenure was agreed upon. However, the Minister of Defense, without proper adherence to procedures, decided to terminate her powers and appoint Mr. Zhumadilov in her place.

A key point is that these changes are occurring against the backdrop of criticism regarding the efficiency of procurement and the supply of necessary equipment to the front. Experts believe that this issue is under close scrutiny from Western partners, and their statements about the need to adhere to legal procedures in such matters are very important.

"Of course, there are specialized bodies for this. In this case, the legality of these actions should be examined by the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI). If it turns out that the actions of the minister and his subordinates were illegal, the relevant law enforcement agencies should conduct an investigation. If this issue is not resolved, the situation could undermine trust with our partners and halt the supply of critically important equipment to the front. This, in turn, could have unpredictable consequences for the country's defense capability," — believes Seleznev.

The Scandal in Umerov's Management: What’s Trump and Berlin Got to Do with It?

According to political scientist Oleg Posternak, the change of power in the U.S. under Trump has influenced the reduction of influence opportunities for groups that worked directly with foreign organizations. This refers to various public structures, anti-corruption bodies, as well as supervisory boards in key state enterprises, particularly in the Defense Procurement Agency. Compared to the Democrats, Trump was focused on reducing support and protection for this infrastructure, which was built during his predecessors' times.

Here, the expert notes, a strange situation arises: under wartime conditions, the Ministry of Defense is a key institution for ensuring Ukraine's security. In wartime, under intense pressure from Russia, with the possibility of an audit of military aid from the U.S., especially if the Republicans initiate such a check... Meanwhile, local activists, receiving salaries or grants from structures linked to the Democratic Party, are waging a real campaign against Minister Umerov.

"I believe that the competence of all these actions should be determined by the SBI, SBU, and other law enforcement structures, not various public organizations that are sometimes used to shape media campaigns. In my opinion, it is important to go through this stage without the noise and emotions characteristic of many public activists, who raise a fuss over every case," — Posternak continues.

Will Umerov Resign?

The political scientist believes that there has been no thought of the Minister of Defense resigning at Bankova, and there are no such intentions. However, if the current scandal escalates, they will be forced to make corresponding decisions.

"It seems that they are trying to 'take down' Umerov. He has a certain positive background, particularly as the head of the State Property Fund. He was well perceived by our foreign partners. He conducted several rounds of negotiations in Ramstein, established international communications. This is part of the minister's work, and it is important. But there is a certain group of people who want to remove Umerov. I, by the way, admit that this situation could be fueled by forces that have influence from the Russian Federation. I call them 'useful idiots', as by raising the issue of corruption and cleansing, they are actually working for Russia, even unknowingly," — Posternak believes.

According to the political scientist, when it comes to peacetime, one can delve into details, but in wartime, the situation is entirely different. If there are violations in contracts, this should be examined by the SBI; there are courts. However, the materials from public activists should not be the final instance, which, by the way, cannot be verified by a citizen of Ukraine.

"When Trump started 'cutting' these corruption schemes and parasitism on funds, a wide-scale howl began, as someone is losing resources and influence that they had through supervisory boards and international experts," — the expert concludes.

Recall that in October 2024, Umerov dismissed three of his nine deputies: Stanislav Haider, Alexander Sergei, and Yuri Dzhigira. These personnel changes are occurring against the backdrop of criticism regarding the work of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, particularly concerning the efficiency of procurement and the provision of necessary resources to the army.