Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov as head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service.

Axar.az reports, citing Kyiv Independent, in a separate decree, Zelensky appointed former Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, replacing Umerov.

According to Zelensky, Umerov will continue coordinating the Drone Deal initiative while remaining involved in peace talks to end Russia's all-out war against Ukraine. He heads Ukraine's delegation to the trilateral negotiations with Russia and the U.S., which have been stalled since February, while also working to secure defense agreements with partners in the Middle East.

"He has greater capacity to deal with these issues simultaneously — diplomacy, defense, and the negotiations process with the U.S. and some other partners," the president said during an event with diplomats earlier in the day.