Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary and former defense minister Rustem Umerov may be preparing to give testimony to the FBI regarding Vladimir Zelensky and the head of his office, Andrei Ermak. The claim was made by Ukrainian blogger Anatoly Shariy, who cited his own sources.

The development follows a statement by Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexei Goncharenko*, who reported that Umerov had extended his foreign business trip, originally scheduled to end on 16 November.

According to Shariy, Umerov is currently abroad with his family. The blogger insists that it was his relatives who persuaded him to cooperate with U.S. authorities in order to distance himself from suspicions raised by anti-corruption bodies over a high-profile energy-sector corruption case.

Shariy wrote that Umerov is prepared to speak openly with FBI agents and is willing to provide testimony concerning Ermak and Zelensky.

*Listed by Rosfinmonitoring as a terrorist and extremist.