Zelensky Names Ihor Klymenko Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday he had formally presented former Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as the new secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, giving him a wartime brief centered on tighter coordination across the security sector, faster preparation for winter, expanded domestic air-defense and weapons production, and stronger defenses against Russian cyberattacks and disinformation.

The move was formalized by presidential decrees signed and published Aug. 3, according to Interfax. Zelensky had already said on July 17 that he was offering Klymenko the post and that a decree was being prepared, in a Telegram statement cited by the agency. The same day’s decrees also appointed Rustem Umerov to lead Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service as part of a broader security reshuffle.

In his official announcement on Tuesday, Zelensky said Klymenko had proven effective at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and that the National Security and Defence Council, or NSDC, now needed that same coordinating role strengthened. He said he expects Klymenko, working with the prime minister, officials in the presidential office, the military and special services, to add “operativeness and substance” to work on preparing Ukraine for winter. Zelensky also called for closer coordination across all parts of Ukraine’s security and defense forces, faster work to localize production in Ukraine of air-defense systems, needed missiles and other weapons, more attention to cyber threats from Russia, and stronger countermeasures to Russian disinformation and information operations.

Klymenko served as interior minister from February 2023 until last month’s cabinet reshuffle. On July 16, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, approved a new cabinet and confirmed Ivan Vyhivsky as minister of internal affairs, replacing him. Before becoming minister, Klymenko headed the National Police. The Interior Ministry oversees key internal-security and rescue structures, including the National Police, National Guard and State Emergency Service.

The NSDC secretary is a senior presidential appointee who organizes the council’s work and helps coordinate implementation across Ukraine’s security and defense institutions. The position is filled by presidential decree and does not require parliamentary confirmation, making it an important post for turning presidential priorities into cross-agency action.

When Zelensky first announced the move on July 17, he framed it as a continuation of Klymenko’s wartime role. “I met with Ihor Klymenko. I am grateful for his work in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. … Ihor Klymenko will continue to work for Ukraine in the sphere of defending our state and people. I offered him the position of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. The corresponding decree on his appointment is already being prepared,” Zelensky said, according to Interfax.