He made this statement at the III UP 100 Awards Ceremony, that recognizes 100 Ukrainian leaders who have made significant contributions to the country.
Kryvonos clarified that Umerov is neither a suspect nor an accused party.
“Umerov was indeed questioned," NABU Chief said.
"I cannot disclose his procedural status. I can only say that at this moment he is not a suspect or an accused. I will refrain from further comments, as this may harm the pre-trial investigation."
On Nov. 11, a Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) prosecutor stated that businessman Tymur Mindich had influenced former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko and current NSDC Secretary and former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov throughout 2025.
Umerov responded that attempts to link his work in office to the “influence” of certain individuals have no basis. He added that he had met with Mindich to discuss the supply of bulletproof vests under one of the contracts.
On Nov. 12, Tetiana Nikolaienko, deputy head of the Public Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defense, said that Mindich may be connected to a contract for purchasing low-quality body armor for Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
On Nov. 26, Ukrainska Pravda reported that NABU questioned Umerov as a witness in a case involving the alleged organization of a “back-office” by Tymur Mindich.
That same day, the Public Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defense submitted a report to NABU alleging criminal wrongdoing by defense ministry officials in the procurement of body armor.