Ukraine to replace defense minister amid corruption scandals
Conrad Hoyt
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Ukraine is set to replace its defense minister in a reshuffle of the country’s war effort as it deals with corruption scandals and prepares for a major Russian offensive.
Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov will be removed in favor of Kyrylo Budanov, who leads Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, Reuters reported on Sunday. Reznikov will be transferred to another ministerial job, David Arakhamia, an ally of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
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Reznikov, 56, is a former lawyer who became defense minister in November 2021, a few months before Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, according to Al Jazeera.
“Time and circumstances require reinforcement and regrouping. This is happening now and will continue to happen in the future,” Arakhamia said. “The enemy is preparing to advance. We are preparing to defend ourselves.”
Reznikov warned on Thursday that Russia would likely launch a major 500,000-soldier offensive around Feb. 24. Arakhamia’s comments point to the likelihood that a major Russian offensive is indeed imminent.
The news comes as Ukraine deals with scandals and resignations. Just within the past two weeks, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov resigned shortly after corruption allegations surfaced.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine said on Jan. 23 that it was investigating “high-profile media reports about possible abuses by the Ministry of Defense in the procurement of food for the military,” which ultimately prompted Shapovalov’s resignation even though the ministry denied the allegations.
Shapovalov said in his resignation letter he was stepping aside so he would not be a distraction from the war effort. And he was not the only government official caught in the crosshairs of the anti-corruption bureau’s investigations.
Vasyl Lozynsky, the acting minister for regional development, was arrested on Jan. 22 after the anti-corruption bureau accused Lozynsky of receiving $400,000 in “unlawful benefits” for facilitating contacts.
Zelensky’s deputy chief of staff, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, announced his resignation on Jan. 24 after Ukrainian media reported he was using a vehicle designated for humanitarian and evacuation purposes to go on business trips.
Deputy prosecutor general Oleksii Symonenko, deputy ministers of regional development Ivan Lukerya and Viacheslav Nehoda, and the deputy minister of social policy Vitalii Muzychenko were all asked to resign or have already quit. Several regional officials faced the same fate.
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Ukraine has been plagued by corruption for years, and Zelensky’s promise to rid the government of it helped him ride into office in 2019. As the war nears its one-year anniversary, Ukraine is clearly aiming to make sure its top officials are trustworthy and on the same page to help it weather the upcoming attacks Russia will throw its way.