Authenticity and relevance of recordings must be established by law enforcement – Umerov’s press service on release of Mindich conversations

The authenticity and relevance of the recordings released by the Ukrainska Pravda publication must be established by law enforcement agencies; National Security Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov has provided the necessary explanations to the investigation. As for the essence of the assumptions, communication regarding weaponry is part of the defense minister’s responsibilities, Umerov’s press service emphasized.

"The authenticity, completeness, and relevance of any recordings or fragments must be established by law enforcement agencies. Utilizing other sources may lead to providing unverified or inaccurate information," Umerov’s press service told the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday, commenting on the fragments of recorded conversations released by the Ukrainska Pravda publication between businessman Tymur Mindich and then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov regarding the alleged purchase of Fire Point products, bulletproof vests, and Umerov’s possible appointment as ambassador to the US.

The press service noted that Umerov had already provided law enforcement with all necessary explanations regarding the matters they were interested in back in November 2025, and Umerov does not have the right to comment on the materials of the criminal proceedings.

Speaking on the essence of public assumptions, the press service pointed out that communication by the defense minister on the topic of supplying weaponry for the Defense Forces is part of the minister’s official duties.

"Business regularly raises questions about payments, contracts, scaling production, and needs for rapid financing. Separately, we want to remind that attracting international financing into the Ukrainian defense industry was one of the key areas of the Ministry of Defense’s work in 2024-2025," they explained to the agency.

The press service noted that it was precisely international activity that allowed attracting an additional over USD 6 billion in financing for the Ukrainian defense industry: these funds were used to purchase weaponry from dozens of companies, and the procurement process itself – the so-called "Danish model" – repeatedly underwent auditing by international partners.

Commenting on interpretations regarding alleged lobbying for individual companies before external investors, the press service reported that from 2024 to the present, Umerov has been systematically working to combine the interests of international partners and Ukrainian producers in the defense industry sector.

"The Ukrainian defense industry began actively scaling up already during the full-scale war, and this requires significant investments which the state alone cannot fully ensure. That is why attracting partners and co-financing mechanisms is a necessary condition for rapid weaponry production in the needed quantity to ensure the Defense Forces’ needs," added the press service.

They also separately noted that if a foreign party considers several Ukrainian companies and asks for the Ukrainian government’s position, this is "normal inter-state work, not the protection of private interests."

Clarifying the aspect of financing for the drone and missile manufacturing company mentioned in the media, Umerov’s press service pointed out that this refers to the production of drones that have demonstrated their effectiveness at the front, particularly during long-range operations deep inside Russia.

"The sum of over 300 billion, which was allegedly financed for the company, is not true. This is the total amount of financing for UAV procurements as a whole, covering hundreds of different manufacturers and types of drones – from FPV and reconnaissance to bombers and long-range systems," explained the press service.

As reported, the Ukrainska Pravda publication released fragments of conversations by businessman Tymur Mindich with former first aide to the president Serhiy Shefir and ex-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, documented by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office within the framework of operation "Midas."

The video discusses three conversations: Mindich and ex-first aide to the president Serhii Shefir allegedly about paying bail for ex-vice-prime minister Oleksiy Chernyshov; Mindich and an unknown Natalia regarding the construction of four houses allegedly for the "Dynasty" cooperative for Mindich, Chernyshov, as well as Andrii and Vova; Mindich and then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov regarding the alleged purchase of Fire Point products, bulletproof vests, and Umerov’s possible appointment as ambassador to the US.

As noted by Mykhailo Tkach, the Masha mentioned in conversation between Mindich and Umerov is not volunteer Maria Berlinska, but probably Maria Vasylivna Dotsenko, advisor to the general director of JSC "National Investment Fund of Ukraine" on strategic partnership development with Middle Eastern countries.