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Rustem UmerovMinister of Defense of Ukraine
Date of Birth: 19.04.1982
Country: ![]() |
Content:
- Early Life and Family
- Education and Career
- Business Ventures
- Political and Social Activism
- Parliamentary Career
- Ministerial Positions
Rustam Umerov: A Multifaceted Figure in Ukrainian Politics and Business
Rustam Umerov is a prominent Ukrainian politician, businessman, and philanthropist who has played a significant role in shaping Ukraine's political landscape.
Early Life and Family
Born in 1982 in Bulungur, Uzbekistan, Rustam Umerov is an ethnic Crimean Tatar. His father, Enver Umerov, was an engineer, while his mother, Meriem Umerova, worked as a chemical engineer. Umerov's family was forced to relocate to Central Asia after the Crimean deportation of 1944. They returned to Crimea in the late 1980s during the repatriation of Crimean Tatars.
Education and Career
Umerov graduated from the Crimean Boarding School for Gifted Children. He received a scholarship through the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) and spent a year in the United States. Upon his return to Ukraine, he earned a degree in Finance and Credit from the National Academy of Management.
Umerov's career in the telecommunications industry began in 2004 when he joined lifecell, Ukraine's mobile operator. He held various leadership positions within the company, including Head of Department for Site Management and Legal Support, Head of Procurement, Logistics, and Contract Management, and Head of Distribution and Alternative Sales Channels.
Business Ventures
In 2010, Umerov became the Managing Director of ICG Investments, a private equity firm. He later assumed the same role at iCapital from 2011 to 2013. From 2013 to 2019, Umerov served as the Managing Director of ASTEM, a company that manages investments in the communications, information technology, and infrastructure sectors.
Political and Social Activism
Umerov has been actively involved in the Crimean Tatar community. In 2007, he was among the founders of the Zemplyachestvo Krymskykh Tatar, an organization dedicated to developing regional representations of Crimean Tatars. He also co-founded the youth organization Birym Kizym and the Crimean International Business Association.
In 2014, Umerov became the curator of the exchange of political prisoners from Crimea for the Mejlis, the governing body of the Crimean Tatar people. He was also involved in the establishment of the Evcaf charitable foundation.
Parliamentary Career
In 2019, Umerov was elected as a member of parliament for the Holos party. He served as the Secretary of the Committee on Human Rights, Deoccupation and Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, National Minorities, and Interethnic Relations.
As a deputy, Umerov co-authored nearly 100 legislative bills. He also joined the working group of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to develop a strategy for the de-occupation of Crimea.
Ministerial Positions
In 2022, Umerov was appointed as the Chairman of the State Property Fund of Ukraine. In March 2023, he accompanied First Lady Olena Zelenska on a visit to the UAE, and in May, he accompanied President Volodymyr Zelensky on a visit to Saudi Arabia.
On September 3, 2023, President Zelensky announced his intention to nominate Umerov as the new Minister of Defense. Umerov resigned from his position as Chairman of the State Property Fund of Ukraine on September 4, 2023.