Zelenskyy officially confirmed the appointments of Umerov and Klymenko to their new positions

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Rustem Umerov head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine and Ihor Klymenko secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. The head of state signed the relevant decrees on August 3.

Before appointing Umerov to the Foreign Intelligence Service, Zelenskyy dismissed him from the post of secretary of the National Security and Defense Council in accordance with the resignation letter he had submitted. Ihor Klymenko became the new head of the National Security and Defense Council.

The president also relieved First Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Oleh Luhovskyi of temporarily performing the duties of the agency's head. He had led the foreign intelligence service in an acting capacity since February 4, 2026.

The planned appointment had previously been reported by "Ukrainska Pravda." The publication obtained this information from informed sources in political circles. Zelenskyy later publicly confirmed the personnel decisions, after which the relevant decrees appeared on the president's website.

What Umerov will do at the Foreign Intelligence Service

The president spoke about Umerov's upcoming appointment on August 3 during the annual meeting of the heads of Ukraine's foreign diplomatic missions.

According to Zelenskyy, the new head of the Foreign Intelligence Service will coordinate work on concluding international agreements in the field of drones. Ukraine already has such agreements with nine countries and is negotiating with another 15 states.

The agreements provide not only for the export of Ukrainian drones but also for the integration of domestic counter-drone technologies into the defense systems of partner countries.

Umerov will also continue to deal with diplomatic issues and the negotiation process with the United States. Zelenskyy stressed that his work would not be limited to the countries of the Middle East.

Klymenko heads the National Security and Defense Council

Commenting on the appointment of Ihor Klymenko as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, the president noted his experience in coordinating the security sector and his work to ensure the resilience of the state.

Zelenskyy said that the National Security and Defense Council would be more actively involved in joint work with the Cabinet of Ministers. A special meeting of the Council is expected to take place this week to assess the implementation of resilience plans for regions and communities.

The president warned that officials would be held accountable if the approved measures were not implemented.

Umerov previously served as minister of defense and later as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and participated in Ukraine's negotiations with the United States and other international partners.

Based on materials from: Suspilne News, UNIAN, Ukrainska Pravda