According to Kyiv, this demonstrated that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s was responsive to the public in the wake of corruption allegations. In the biggest political reorganization of the conflict in Ukraine so far, a number of top officials were fired on Tuesday.
The long-running fight against corruption in Ukraine has assumed critical importance as Kyiv increasingly depends on Western support and pursues an EU membership bid in the wake of Russia’s invasion.
The removal of more than a dozen officials as the Russian invasion approaches its 12th month following the arrest of a deputy minister on suspicion of fraud, sparked outrage and accusations that were refuted by the Defence Ministry.
“The president is aware of society. Additionally, he clearly addresses a crucial public demand: justice for all “Senior Zelenskiy’s advisor Mykhailo Podolyak posted something on Twitter.
Five regional governors, four deputy ministers, and a senior official in the presidential office who is believed to be close to Zelenskiy are among the departing officials. Zelenskiy had stated on Monday that there will be “personnel decisions – some today, others tomorrow.”
According to political expert Volodymyr Fesenko of Kyiv, some of the reforms were anticipated for some time but were sparked by a sudden flurry of unfavorable headlines.
According to Fesenko of Reuters, “this is a reaction from the president… to negative pieces in the media, as well as a strengthening of the campaign against corruption.”
While some of the announcements looked to be connected to allegations of corruption, others had nothing to do with them at all.
The shake-up was made all the more striking by the fact that it took place in the midst of a deep political thaw in the country that has persisted throughout the war as political rivalries were largely put on hold to concentrate on the battle for national survival.
Vyacheslav Shapovalov, the deputy defense minister, submitted his resignation after a local media article over the weekend claimed that the defense ministry had been paying inflated prices for food supplies, a classic scam employed by dishonest bureaucrats to siphon off money.
The claims were unfounded, according to the ministry, but Shapovalov’s retirement as the head of army supplies was a “noble gesture” that would help preserve public confidence in the organization.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated at a cabinet meeting that Ukraine was making success in its anti-corruption effort as the shake-up was announced one by one. He claimed that the work was systematic and continuous and that it was essential to Ukraine’s membership in the EU.
Among those leaving were the regional governors of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Sumy, and Kherson. Technically, Zelenskiy still needs to issue a decree that officially terminates their employment.
The president’s office declared that Kyrylo Tymoshenko’s resignation as its deputy head had been accepted. He did not explain why he was leaving.
The 33-year-old, who oversaw the regions and regional policy, had worked for Zelenskiy’s election campaign and had been in his position since 2019. Although he denied culpability and said the cars had been hired, he had come under fire from the local media for using showy vehicles during the invasion.
Oleksiy Symonenko, a deputy prosecutor general, lost his job after receiving criticism in the local media for taking a family vacation in Marbella, Spain, during the war. On the accusations, Symonenko has not made any public statements.
In his nightly address on Monday, Zelenskiy said that government employees would no longer be permitted to travel abroad for reasons unrelated to official business.
