Ukraine defense minister to be replaced amid corruption probes
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Oleksii Reznikov is set to be replaced as Ukraine’s defense minister, a top lawmaker said Sunday, amid investigations into government corruption related to war profiteering.
Reznikov will take on another job as minister of strategic industries and be replaced by Kyrylo Budanov, head of the GUR military intelligence agency, according to David Arakhamia, a senior lawmaker and close ally of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“War dictates changes in personnel policy,” Arakhamia said, according to Reuters.
The reshuffle marks the biggest and latest government shake-up in a series of corruption scandals in Kyiv as the country tries to prove it can meet the EU’s democratic standards to join the bloc amid the war with Russia, with Zelenskyy pledging tough action to crack down.
Vyacheslav Shapovalov stepped down last month as deputy defense minister as Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency started to examine allegations of inflated prices paid for military rations. The country’s deputy infrastructure minister was also fired over allegations of profiting from a deal to supply electrical generators at an inflated price.
Reznikov has previously called the accusations against the defense ministry a smear campaign, aimed at undermining trust. He said before the news Sunday that: “If I suddenly received such an offer from the president of Ukraine or the prime minister [to change roles], I would refuse it, because I do not have the expertise.”