Ukrainian Security Chief Umerov Extends US Trip Not to Return to Kyiv

Rustem Umerov remains in the United States for scheduled official meetings and continues to work with Kyiv, the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) stated, dismissing reports claiming he had refused to return to Ukraine amid a corruption scandal involving his name.

Kyiv Denies Claims of Umerov’s 'Refusal to Return'

The NSDC’s Center for Countering Disinformation declared that reports alleging that the secretary was refusing to come back from an overseas trip were false. According to the statement, Umerov is currently carrying out a planned official mission in the US, where he is holding a series of consultations and meetings.

The agency stressed that he “remains in constant working contact with the leadership of the Ukrainian state, fulfills all assigned tasks, and continues work on key issues of security, defense, and humanitarian policy.” No timeframe for his return was provided.

Rumors, Extensions, and Political Reactions

The speculation emerged on November 17, when the Telegram channel Clash Report claimed that Umerov had personally informed President Volodymyr Zelensky that he would not return. Later, individuals reportedly in direct contact with him denied this, saying he intended to come back to Ukraine.

Ukrainian MP Alexei Goncharenko wrote that Umerov’s official trip was originally supposed to end on November 16 but had been extended by three days, until November 19. He also published footage from a courtroom where former First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshev was being given pre-trial restrictions in a corruption case.

A Scandal Involving Energoatom and High-Level Influence

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) suspect Chernyshev of involvement in a large-scale money-laundering scheme tied to the state energy company Energoatom. He was formally notified of suspicion of unlawful enrichment.

In mid-November, SAP stated that businessman and co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio Timur Mindich had interfered in Ukraine’s defense and energy sectors by influencing former ministers. It was during these revelations that Umerov’s name first surfaced, as he headed the Ministry of Defense in 2023–2025.

According to law enforcement agencies, participants in a high-level criminal organization led by Mindich built a large corruption scheme within Energoatom, taking kickbacks of 10–15% on contracts and laundering money in an office in central Kyiv belonging to the family of former MP Andrey Derkach.

NABU estimates that around 100 million dollars were laundered through the scheme.

Umerov’s Defense and Earlier Trip to Turkey

Umerov had traveled to Turkey on November 11 to help unblock the prisoner-exchange process between Russia and Ukraine. Addressing allegations of his involvement in the Energoatom scheme, he insisted that any attempts to link his work at the Ministry of Defense to the influence of certain individuals were “groundless.”

He acknowledged that he had met Mindich, explaining that they had discussed a contract for the supply of bulletproof vests, which was later terminated because the products failed to meet required standards. Not a single item was delivered, Umerov said.