"Oleksii Reznikov has gone through more than 550 days of a full-scale war. I believe that the [defense] ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society in general. Rustem Umerov is set to head the ministry now ... I expect the parliament to support this candidacy," Zelensky said in a video address on Telegram.
The exact date of when Rustem Umerov's candidacy will be submitted to the Ukrainian parliament has not been revealed.
On August 19, Reznikov said that he was ready to stand down amid a dispute over inflated military catering costs. Zelensky was reportedly looking to replace Reznikov after the defense minister came under fire over allegations of corruption that have been dogging the Ukrainian government since January.
The change of defense minister in Ukraine, while it may not be a sign of direct distrust of the current army leadership on the issue of the so-called counter-offensive of the Ukraine military forces, nevertheless might rise questions regarding the efficiency of Western support to Ukraine's army.