"Oleksii Reznikov has gone through more than 550 days of a full-scale war. I believe that the [defense] ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society in general. Rustem Umerov is set to head the ministry now ... I expect the parliament to support this candidacy," Zelensky said in a video address on Telegram.
On August 19, Reznikov said that he was ready to stand down amid a dispute over inflated military catering costs. Zelensky was reportedly looking to replace Reznikov after the defense minister came under fire over allegations of corruption that have been dogging the Ukrainian government since January.
Earlier in the day, Reznikov stated that, since hostilities began in February 2022, Ukraine has received nearly $100 billion in military assistance from Western allies. The United States alone has provided more than $50 billion in military aid to Kiev.