Zelenskyy picks Uzbekistan-born top Russia negotiator as next intelligence chief
In the latest reshuffle of senior security officials, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has on Monday appointed Ukraine’s chief peace negotiator, Rustem Umerov, as head of the country’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
Umerov moves to the new job from his previous role as head of the National Security and Defence Council. As the new chief of intelligence, he succeeds Oleh Luhovskyy, a career spy operative who led the service since February 2026.
Zelenskyy said on 3 August that Umerov’s new position would allow him to continue «streamlining diplomatic and defence-related issues, while also managing Ukraine’s international security partnerships and overseeing the country’s foreign intelligence operations,» RBK Ukraine reported.
«My goal will be to strengthen [the intelligence service’s] capabilities, ensure there are all necessary resources in place and lay groundwork to work the most efficient way,» Umerov commented.
The Foreign Intelligence Service reports directly to the Ukrainian president and is responsible for gathering intelligence abroad on political, military and economic threats.
The appointment comes weeks after Zelenskyy launched a broader overhaul of Ukraine’s security and defence leadership, including the defence minister and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Who is Rustem Umerov?
Umerov was born in Bulungur, a town east of Samarkand, to a Crimean Tatar family who were forcefully displaced to Soviet Central Asia back in 1944. After 50 years of exile, the Umerovs repatriated to Crimea in the early 1990s.
Before taking on the negotiating role, Umerov served as Ukraine’s defence minister from 2023 to 2025, overseeing military procurement and cooperation with Western allies during a critical stage of Russia’s full-scale invasion. He later moved to the National Security and Defence Council before receiving his latest appointment.
Chief Russia negotiator
Umerov has become one of Ukraine’s most prominent officials involved in diplomatic efforts to end the war. He has led Kyiv’s delegation in US-backed negotiations with Russia, including talks that resulted in several prisoner exchanges, although the sides have yet to make progress towards a broader ceasefire or peace agreement.
His negotiating team last met with Russian and American counterparts in Geneva in February 2026. Axios reported that the meeting was to no avail, while Russian state media described it as «very tense.» Before Geneva, the three parties met in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and Istanbul, Türkiye, in July 2025.
