Incoming Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, in his youth, took part in the United States' (US) State Department's Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX), and is known in Ukraine as a "child of America," the Turkish media revealed, citing sources.
"According to open sources, in his youth, he participated in the US State Department's Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX). His brother Ruslan Umerov... also studied at a Crimean boarding school that has connections to FETO. Both brothers are known in Kiev [Ukraine's capital] as 'the children of America'," the outlet said.
Moreover, Umerov will become the executor of America's plans in the region and is associated with the organization of Turkish Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen (FETO), banned in Turkey, with whom the country links the coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016, the media reported.
"Umerov was born in 1982, previously held the positions of President of the State Property Fund of Ukraine and Special Representative of the President of Ukraine. Umerov... is a politician who is the spokesman and executor of US plans in the region," the media said.
According to the outlet's local sources in Ukraine, Umerov studied at the Crimean Boarding School for Gifted Children, which received support from FETO during the Ukrainian period of the Crimean Peninsula's history.
In addition, sources claiming that Umerov is directly connected with the United States said that part of the funds he receives from foreign countries, he reportedly uses for personal purposes.
Umerov started his career in Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council in 2020, where he concentrated on developing strategies for the "de-occupation of Crimea."
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the departure of Oleksii Reznikov from the post of Defense Minister and the appointment of Umerov to the position, who was the head of the Ukrainian State Property Fund. The president explained his decision by the need for "new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society."
However, Reznikov is reportedly connected with a slew of corruption scandals, which engulfed Ukraine’s Defense Ministry throughout his tenure. This includes inflated prices on army food and fuel supplies, a winter jacket procurement scandal and corruption-laden draft evasion and payoff schemes.
The military leadership reshuffle comes amid the Ukrainian counteroffensive, in which the country's army already lost over 66,000 troops and 7,600 weapons, the Russian Defense Ministry stated.