# Leadership changes in post‑Soviet security agencies

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/leadership-changes-in-postsoviet-security-agencies
> Updated: 2026-08-03T10:05:37.000Z. Sources: 20. Developments: 2.

In July 2026 Uzbekistan’s president appointed Rustam Zhoirev as chairman of the Presidential State Security Service, granting him the rank of general‑lieutenant and replacing Alisher Usmonov. Zhoirev, a veteran of the country’s law‑enforcement structures, assumes responsibility for coordinating state security and implementing presidential directives.

In early August 2026 Ukraine’s president named former defence minister and chief peace negotiator Rustem Umerov as head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, succeeding interim chief Oleh Luhovyi amid a wide‑scale government reshuffle. The reshuffle, which began in July 2024, also removed defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov and top military commander Oleksandr Syrsky after public protests, and installed former interior minister Ihor Klymenko as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council. Umerov will retain his role in the Kyiv‑Moscow‑Washington peace talks and continue to lead the “Drone Deal” initiative, which has secured agreements with nine countries and is negotiating with fifteen more, aiming to bolster Ukraine’s external intelligence capacity during the ongoing war.

Both appointments illustrate a broader pattern of senior leadership turnover in the security and intelligence services of former Soviet states, intended to strengthen operational capacity and align agencies with current political priorities.

## Claims

- President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Rustem Umerov as head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service on 3 August 2024. (corroborated by 16 sources)
- Rustem Umerov previously served as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council and as defence minister from 2023 to 2025. (corroborated by 16 sources)
- The appointment is part of a broad government reshuffle that began in July 2024. (corroborated by 16 sources)
- Umerov will continue to coordinate the Drone Deal initiative, overseeing agreements with nine countries and negotiations with fifteen more. (corroborated by 16 sources)
- Umerov will remain involved in peace negotiations with Russia and the United States. (corroborated by 16 sources)
- Oleh Luhovyi, who had been interim head of the Foreign Intelligence Service since February, was dismissed on 3 August 2024. (corroborated by 16 sources)
- The Foreign Intelligence Service had been without a permanent director since January 2024. (corroborated by 16 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-03: Rustem Umerov Named Head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service

Zelensky named Rustem Umerov, former defence minister and chief negotiator, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service on 3 Aug 2024, part of a July‑2024 government reshuffle; he will keep leading peace‑neg

19 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rustem-umerov-appointed-head-of-ukraines-foreign-intelligence-service

### 2026-07-18: Rustam Zhoirev appointed head of Uzbekistan President's State Security Service

Uzbek President appoints Rustam Zhoirev as head of the State Security Service, giving him a special general‑lieutenant rank, succeeding Alisher Usmonov.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rustam-zhoirev-appointed-head-of-uzbekistan-presidents-state-security-service

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Cite as: Leadership changes in post‑Soviet security agencies. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/leadership-changes-in-postsoviet-security-agencies