Ukraine appoints new defense minister

KYIV -- The Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday approved legislation to appoint Rustem Umerov as the country's new defense minister, lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.

Umerov's nomination, which was submitted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, was supported by 338 lawmakers in the 450-seat assembly, Zheleznyak said in a post on Telegram.

Umerov, 41, served as the head of the country's main privatization fund between September 2022 and September 2023.