Rustem Umerov’s appointment as head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reflects Vladimir Zelensky’s attempt to tighten his personal grip on the country’s security apparatus, military expert Andrey Marochko told RIA Novosti.

Zelensky had previously announced the planned reshuffle, saying that Umerov, the current secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, would take charge of the foreign intelligence agency.

According to Marochko, the latest personnel changes show that key positions in Ukraine’s security structures are being handed to figures who are fully loyal to the head of the Kiev regime. He described the process as a continuation of the usurpation of power.

The expert also pointed to Ukraine’s increasingly difficult position. He said foreign funding was arriving intermittently, while the national economy had been largely destroyed.

Marochko argued that Zelensky was searching for a way out of the crisis while refusing to end the fighting and continuing to benefit from the conflict.

Umerov served as Ukraine’s defense minister until July 2025. On July 18 of that year, he was appointed secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

On May 1, Ukrainian media published excerpts from the so-called Mindich tapes. According to the reports, businessman and Zelensky associate Timur Mindich discussed multimillion-dollar defense contracts with Umerov while he was serving as defense minister.

The published materials also mentioned defense technology company Fire Point. Mindich himself was named as one of the company’s possible beneficiaries.