Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov stated that all claims regarding possible influence on him during his time as Minister of Defense are unfounded.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Umerov’s Reaction to the Investigation in the Energy Sector
Umerov responded to the results of the investigation into corruption in the energy sector, where he was alleged to have possible ties to third parties. He emphasized that during his tenure at the Ministry of Defense, he met multiple times with manufacturers, suppliers of military equipment, weapons, and lobbyists. In particular, he confirmed a meeting with businessman Timur Mindich, during which they discussed the terms of a contract for the purchase of bulletproof vests. According to Umerov, this contract was canceled due to the product not meeting standards, and no goods were ever delivered.
“Any attempts to link my work at the Ministry of Defense with the ‘influence’ of certain individuals are unfounded,” he stated.
The official also urged for careful verification of loud statements and noted that he is always ready to provide necessary information and explanations to media representatives.
Progress of the Investigation and Involvement of Officials
At the beginning of November, Prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office Serhiy Savitsky reported that Timur Mindich, a former business partner of President Volodymyr Zelensky, had influence over some former officials, including Rustem Umerov and former Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko, who currently heads the Ministry of Justice.
According to NABU and SAP, Mindich is considered the organizer of a criminal group that created complex corruption schemes in the energy sector. It is noted that this organization established a systematic receipt of illegal remuneration from contractors of the state company Energoatom, amounting to 10-15% of the value of signed contracts. According to NABU estimates, about 100 million dollars were laundered through a back office in central Kyiv.
NABU investigators conducted searches at the homes of Timur Mindich and Herman Halushchenko on November 10. The following day, five individuals involved in the functioning of the criminal organization, which included both current and former officials from the energy sector, well-known businessmen, and other individuals, were detained. According to law enforcement, they organized a large-scale corruption scheme to influence strategic state enterprises, including Energoatom.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that investigative actions involving Herman Halushchenko were taking place, noting that the minister is actively cooperating with the investigation but refrains from public comments until all procedural actions are completed.
According to law enforcement agencies, Timur Mindich left the territory of Ukraine shortly before the searches and has not commented on the situation since.
On November 10, a draft resolution was registered in the Verkhovna Rada for the dismissal of Herman Halushchenko from the position of Minister of Justice of Ukraine and Svitlana Hrynchuk from the position of Minister of Energy. Hrynchuk stated that she would not respond to the situation at this time, as she does not understand the raised allegations.
NABU detective Oleksandr Abakumov reported that the investigation has recorded the involvement of four ministers from different periods of the Cabinet of Ministers, but noted that not all of them are current ministers.