Russia-Ukraine war live: Ukrainian parliament votes to approve Rustem Umerov as new defence minister

Ukraine’s parliament approves Rustem Umerov as new defence minister

Ukraine’s parliament voted on Wednesday to approve the appointment of Rustem Umerov as the country’s new defence minister, a lawmaker said.

Yaroslav Zheleznyak said on Telegram that an overwhelming majority had supported Umerov after he was put forward for the role by Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Ukraine’s biggest wartime shake-up of the defence sector so far.

Umerov is a leading member of the Crimean Tatar community who has represented his country in sensitive negotiations with Russia.

In a video address on Sunday night, Zelenskiy named Umerov as the successor to Oleksii Reznikov, who was stepping down after 22 months in the job.

His appointment is a clear signal that Kyiv is determined to expel Russia and its occupying forces from Crimea, defence ministry sources suggest. Some of Ukraine’s western allies including the US are privately sceptical about the feasibility of this ambition.

Rustem Umerov in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Photograph: State Property Fund of Ukraine/AFP/Getty Images