NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov was questioned in the “Operation Midas” energy corruption case. He denies any wrongdoing or involvement in schemes, including those linked to Energoatom.
Anti-corruption Bureau investigators were already looking into the activities of National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov at the beginning of 2025, when he was serving as Ukraine’s Minister of Defence. This was reported by Informator.ua.
The next person expected to face NABU searches is NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov. Informator learned this from sources within law enforcement. They also say that in the near future it is very likely that Andriy Yermak, whose premises are currently being searched, will receive a notice of suspicion from NABU.
NABU launched an investigation into Umerov’s possible abuse of power at the beginning of 2025, following a complaint from the Anti-Corruption Action Center. In particular, this concerned the dismissal of Marina Bezrukova, the director of the Defense Procurement Agency. This agency is an autonomous body within the Ministry of Defence that oversees weapons procurement for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was established in the summer of 2022 after a series of corruption scandals in the ministry, with the aim of making military procurement as transparent as possible.
Umerov defended his decision to dismiss Bezrukova, claiming that the agency had been “playing political games” instead of ensuring the timely delivery of ammunition to the military. Meanwhile, the Defense Procurement Agency accused the Ministry of Defence of exerting pressure. If Rustem Umerov is ultimately found guilty of abuse of power, he could face up to six years in prison.
Umerov himself denies any wrongdoing or exerting pressure while serving as Minister of Defence. He calls all accusations unfounded.
“Any attempts to link my work at the Ministry of Defence to the ‘influence’ of certain individuals are baseless,” the NSDC secretary stated.
Umerov Has Already Been Questioned in the Mindich Case
NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov was summoned for questioning in the corruption case in the energy sector known as “Operation Midas.” The interrogation took place on 25 November.
NABU stated that he arrived as a witness to provide testimony in proceedings concerning “interference in the activities of a public official.”
Umerov confirmed that he had met businessman Tymur Mindich — the main suspect in the high-profile case — during his tenure at the Ministry of Defence, but firmly rejected any influence or involvement in corruption schemes, including those surrounding Energoatom. The Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defence also reported that Mindich may have attempted to pressure Umerov to secure support for purchasing bulletproof vests from the company Mіlicon UA.
