--- title: "Rustem Umerov Resigns as NSDC Secretary: Zelenskyy Appoints Him Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service" description: "Rustem Umerov has left the post of NSDC Secretary and become the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. Zelenskyy signed the decree on the personnel change, explaining the decision as a necessity to strengthen the international track and security work. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ•΅οΈβ€β™‚οΈ" date: 2026-08-03T11:04:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/rustem-umerov-appointed-head-of-foreign-intelligence-service tags: [rustem-umerov, vladimir-zelensky, ukraine-svr, national-security-council] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Rustem Umerov Resigns as NSDC Secretary: Zelenskyy Appoints Him Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service ![Rustem Umerov, new head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, at an official event](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/03/rustem-umerov-naznacheny-glavoy-svr-ukrainy/rustem-umerov-naznacheny-glavoy-svr-ukrainy-1.webp) A significant personnel reshuffle has taken place within the Ukrainian political elite. Former Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov has received a new appointment: Chairman of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. The corresponding decree was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. ### Dismissal and Appointment According to RBC-Ukraine, citing official documents, the head of state issued a decree dismissing Umerov from the post of NSDC Secretary. This decision was made based on his resignation letter. The same document confirms his leadership of the foreign intelligence service. Previously, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he was considering which position to offer the former Minister of Defense. The President noted that Umerov would focus on international activities and cooperation in the field of security. ### Appointment Strategy A source for the publication, commenting on personnel policy, explained the logic behind this move. According to him, Umerov's natural sphere is constant special international contacts and external activities. The new structure allows for combining the power aspect with the international track. The expert noted that the new position provides a solid foundation to "ground" work on the anti-ballistic coalition, drone issues, and other strategic directions. ### Agency History Before Umerov's appointment, the Acting Chairman of the Foreign Intelligence Service was Oleg Lugovskiy. He was appointed to this position by Presidential Decree No. 100/2026 dated February 4, 2026. Previously, the agency was headed by Oleg Ivashchenko, who held the post from March 2024 to January 2026.