Ukraine's Zelenskiy moves to replace wartime defense minister
(VOVWORLD) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he has decided to replace his defence minister, setting the stage for the biggest shake-up of Ukraine's defence establishment since Russia launched its military operation in February 2022.
 Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov. (Photo: Getty) |
In his nightly video address to the nation, Zelenskiy said he would dismiss Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov and would ask parliament this week to replace him with Rustem Umerov, head of the country's main privatization fund.
Reznikov, defence minister since November 2021, has helped secure billions of dollars of Western military aid, but has been dogged by graft allegations surrounding his ministry that he has described as smears.
The decision comes amid a crackdown on corruption in Ukraine that Zelenskiy has been eager to emphasize. Kyiv has applied to join the European Union and the public has become highly sensitive to corruption as the conflict with Russia rages with no end in sight.