Ukraine’s former defense minister and current Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), Rustem Umerov, has not returned to the country since the eruption of a major corruption scandal that implicates him as well as a longtime associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
On Monday, the Ukrainian government denied reports—originating from pro-Russian media—that Umerov had notified Zelensky he would not return to Ukraine. Nonetheless, his travel itinerary since the scandal broke has raised questions about his status and intentions. The case, investigated by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), has ensnared businessman Timur Mindich, a former co-owner of Zelensky’s production company; Justice Minister German Galushchenko; and senior executives at the state nuclear energy firm Energoatom. Authorities allege the group participated in a $100 million graft scheme.
Umerov is implicated in the investigation for allegedly meeting with Mindich to discuss a contract for Chinese-made bulletproof vests supplied through an Israeli intermediary and associated shell companies at inflated prices.
He left Ukraine on November 10—the day of the raids—and traveled to Turkey, where he claimed he was working to restart negotiations with Russia. He remained there until November 15 before traveling to the United Arab Emirates and then Qatar, where he was reportedly involved in prisoner-swap negotiations mediated by both states.
Speculation intensified on Monday when Umerov, expected to return to Kiev, instead flew to the United States. Zelensky has insisted he remains in regular contact with Umerov and says the NSDC chief is performing his duties remotely, asserting that he will return on November 19.
The so-called “Mindich case” has become one of the most damaging scandals of Zelensky’s presidency, particularly in the eyes of Western governments on which Kiev relies heavily. Western media have increasingly highlighted Ukraine’s persistent corruption problems and the potential misappropriation of Western financial assistance, further complicating Kiev’s diplomatic position.