A number of senior Ukrainian officials announced their resignations on Tuesday, following media coverage of corruption allegations. Among the officials who resigned were Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, responsible for logistical support for the armed forces, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Kirilo Tymoshenko and Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksii Simonenko.
Ukraine’s deputy head of the presidential office Krylo Tymoshenko asked President Volodymyr Zelensky to be relieved of his post on Tuesday, according to Reuters. “Thank you to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky for the hope and opportunity to do good deeds every minute of every day“Tymoshenko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Tymoshenko did not give a reason for his resignation. Ukrainian media reported that Tymoshenko could be part of the personnel reshuffle announced by Zelensky. A decree accepting Tymoshenko’s resignation was published on the President’s website.
Zelensky said on Monday that personnel changes in the government, regions and security forces would be announced this week after allegations of corruption nearly a year after the Russian invasion.
Tymoshenko, 33, has been deputy head of the presidential office since 2019, overseeing regions and regional policy. He worked with Zelenski during his election campaign, overseeing media and creative content, Agerpres notes.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, according to Ukrainian media, Tymoshenko was involved in several scandals related to the use of expensive cars for personal purposes. Tymoshenko denied all the allegations.
BIHUS journalists reported that Tymoshenko was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV donated by General Motors to Ukraine for humanitarian work and to transport civilians from war zones.
In December 2022, zUkrainian newspaper Ukrainska Pravda He revealed After martial law was imposed on Ukrainian territory, Tymoshenko was driving a $100,000 2021 Porsche Taygon. According to journalists, the car belongs to businessman Vemir Davidyan.
The government in Kiev faces numerous corruption charges. On Saturday, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Vasiliy Lozhinsky, was arrested by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau on charges of bribery.
Problems also arose for the Ministry of Defense on Saturday. According to Ukrainian journalists, the ministry bought food for the army at a price three times higher than what was on store shelves in the capital of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s State Audit Service and law enforcement are now reviewing Defense Ministry spending. Mihailo Podoliak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, confirmed that the audit was ongoing. “If the allegations are confirmed, we will find the people who signed this agreement, investigate and hold those people accountable,” Podoliak said.
Ukraine has a history of high-level corruption. In 2021, Transparency International ranked it 122nd out of 180 countries in its ranking of the most corrupt countries. BBC News writes.
Zelensky: “What was in the past cannot be returned”
In a message to the country on Sunday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that decisions would be taken to help eradicate corruption. “We cannot go back to the way it was in the past,” he said, responding to high-level corruption and the way various people close to state institutions lived.
For his part, the head of the People’s Service political group (President Zelensky’s party), David Arakamia, promised that corrupt Ukrainian officials risk going to jail.
“Officials at all levels were constantly warned through official and unofficial channels: focus on the war, help the victims, cut red tape and stop shady business. Many of them listen, but some, unfortunately, do not“Arakamia said in a Telegram statement.
“If things don’t work out in a civilized manner, martial law applies. This is true of both the recent procurement of generators and the latest scandals at the Ministry of Defence.“, he said The head of the political formation is Slujitorul Poporului.
After criticizing the back Investigation of Ukrainian journalists from ZN.ua, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said the information provided by the Ukrainian publication had “intentional manipulation and misleading indications”. But MUkrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that the price of food for the military has been increased.Technical error“.
Ukrainska Pravda and the heads of four regional administrations – Sumi, DnepropetrovskZaporozhye and Gerson – They could be next because of their connections with Tymoshenko.
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