Ukraine Appoints Rustem Umerov Security Council Secretary, Shmigal Defense Minister

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has appointed a new Cabinet of Ministers led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, with notable reshuffles including Denis Shmigal moving from Prime Minister to Defense Minister and Yulia Sviridenko becoming the new Prime Minister. Rustem Umerov, the former Defense Minister who uncovered significant losses due to theft during his tenure and faced investigations over procurement abuses, has been appointed Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, replacing Oleksandr Lytvynenko. Umerov is also expected to become Ukraine's ambassador to the United States. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Patriot air defense systems will be delivered to Ukraine soon, with arrangements for the U.S. to replace them later to maintain European defense capabilities. Additionally, an advisor to President Zelenskyy stated that President Donald Trump could potentially end the war in Ukraine by the end of 2025 by imposing stronger sanctions on Russian energy buyers. In a related incident, drones attacked the Shchekinoazot chemical plant in Russia's Tula region, a facility involved in missile and drone component production.