Umerov Rustam Enverovych

Former Defense Minister and NSDC Secretary — Witness in the “Midas” Case with the “Mindich Tapes”

Born on August 4, 1981, in Simferopol. Crimean Tatar, entrepreneur, People's Deputy of the IX convocation from "Servant of the People". From September 2023 to February 2026 — Minister of Defense of Ukraine (succeeded Reznikov). Since February 2026 — Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) and head of the delegation at peace negotiations. Close ties to Bankova Street and personal connections with Mindich, with whom, according to NABU wiretaps, he regularly met and conducted negotiations during his tenure at the Ministry of Defense, became the grounds for his summons for questioning.

Milicon Body Armor, Fire Point, and Refusal to Report to the Verkhovna Rada

From the "Mindich tapes" it became known that Mindich personally lobbied Umerov on behalf of the interests of the company "Milicon UA," which purchased 75,000 body armor vests for the Armed Forces of Ukraine; after pressure from the Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defense, the contract was terminated due to quality non-compliance. In April 2026, Ukrainska Pravda published transcripts where Mindich discusses funding of the company Fire Point with Umerov; the Anti-Corruption Center and the Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defense demanded Umerov's dismissal from the post of NSDC Secretary. NABU and SAP confirmed that Umerov has the status of a witness, not a suspect; no searches were conducted at defense enterprises. Umerov refused to report before the Verkhovna Rada, stating that all answers were provided to law enforcement agencies.