President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on August 3 dismissed Rustem Umerov as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and appointed Ihor Klymenko to the post. He also dismissed Oleh Luhovskyi as acting head of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Rustem Umerov has been appointed head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU), according to decrees published on the president's website.
"Relieve Oleh LUHOVSKYI of the temporary performance of the duties of Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine," one of the decrees states.
Commenting on the appointment of Ihor Klymenko as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Klymenko had extensive experience coordinating Ukraine's security sector and helping strengthen the country's resilience during the previous winter.
"He has exceptional experience in coordinating the security sector, as well as in the work carried out last winter to strengthen our resilience and help people. Therefore, the NSDC will be more actively involved in working with the Ukrainian government on these issues," the president said.
Zelenskyy said that, as head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Umerov would oversee Ukraine's Drone Deals initiative with partners while continuing diplomatic efforts.
"Rustem Umerov will continue coordinating all this work [on Drone Deals], and so that he has greater opportunities to focus simultaneously on diplomacy, defence, negotiations with the United States and other key partners, as well as talks aimed at ending Russia's war, he will be appointed head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine," the president said during a meeting with Ukrainian ambassadors.
The Foreign Intelligence Service had been without a permanent chief since February, when its previous head, Oleh Ivashchenko, was appointed to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), replacing Kyrylo Budanov. On the morning of 3 August, Zelenskyy announced his intention to appoint Umerov, who was expected to leave the post of NSDC secretary following Klymenko's appointment.
Klymenko, who had served as interior minister since early 2023 after the death of Denys Monastyrskyy, had also been considered for the post of defence minister. However, amid mass protests following the dismissal of Mykhaylo Fedorov from the Defence Ministry, his candidacy was not put forward. The ministry is currently headed in an acting capacity by Yevheniy Khmara, the former commander of the Security Service of Ukraine's Alpha special operations unit.
Umerov previously served as a People's Deputy from the Holos party before heading the State Property Fund of Ukraine. He later became Ukraine's second defence minister during Russia's full-scale invasion, succeeding Oleksiy Reznikov. He led the ministry from 6 September 2023 until 17 July 2025, after which he became NSDC secretary and effectively served as the president's national security adviser. He participated in negotiations with the United States and Russia and, following Andriy Yermak's resignation, led Ukraine's negotiating team.
Last year, Umerov was also considered for the post of Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, although the position ultimately went to Olha Stefanishyna.
In July, Zelenskyy said Umerov would focus on communication with partners, negotiations, advancing security cooperation, strengthening ties between Ukraine's intelligence community and its partners, and implementing initiatives such as Drone Deals and theFreya anti-ballistic programme.