Ukraine has sent mixed messages over the fate of its defence minister, leaving a key post in its war effort in doubt even as it braces for a new Russian offensive.
A day after announcing that Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov would be replaced, a top ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to row back for now, saying no personnel changes in the defence sector would be made this week.
David Arakhamia, chief of the parliamentary bloc of Mr Zelensky’s party, had said Mr Reznikov would be made minister of strategic industries, while the head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, would take over the defence ministry.
But Mr Zelensky remained silent on the issue, while Mr Reznikov said on Sunday he had not been informed of any move, and would reject the strategic industry job if offered it.
The doubt over the minister’s fate comes as Russian forces have been advancing for the first time in half a year in relentless battles in the east.
A regional governor said Moscow was pouring reinforcements into eastern Ukraine for a new offensive that could come as soon as next week.
Two senior lawmakers on Monday noted that rules require Ukraine’s defence minister to be a civilian, which would appear to put an obstacle in the way of the immediate appointment of Mr Budanov, a 37-year-old military officer.
Removing Mr Reznikov, who has been warmly received in Western capitals including Paris just last week, would be the highest-profile reshuffle in a slew of resignations and sackings in recent weeks, some of which followed corruption scandals.
Ukraine has a decades-long reputation for graft, and Mr Zelensky is under pressure to demonstrate the country can be a reliable steward of billions of dollars in Western military and civilian aid.
In announcing a personnel purge last month, Mr Zelensky pledged to meet Western standards of clean governance.
Mr Reznikov, a lawyer by profession, has not been publicly implicated in any scandals. But one of his deputies and several other officials have left, and prosecutors have announced a probe into allegations that a defence ministry contract would have corruptly overpaid for food for troops.
Mr Arakhamia said Ukraine’s armed forces should not be overseen by politicians during wartime, but by people with a background in defence or security.
“War dictates changes in personnel policy,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday.
Mr Reznikov said on Sunday that any decision on a reshuffle was up to Mr Zelensky, but told the Ukrainian Fakty ICTV online media that a planned transfer to a new ministry was news to him.
“If I suddenly received such an offer from the president of Ukraine or the prime minister, I would refuse it, because I do not have the expertise,” Mr Reznikov was cited as saying.
Mr Budanov, identified by Mr Arakhamia as Mr Reznikov’s replacement, is an enigmatic young officer decorated for his role in secret operations, who rapidly rose through the ranks to head up the military’s Main Directorate of Intelligence.
The possible shakeup coincides with Ukrainian fears that Russia is planning a major new offensive this month.
Ukraine is planning its own counter-offensive but is waiting on Western supplies of battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.
-Reuters
The post Ukraine sends mixed messages about defence ministry at key point in war appeared first on The New Daily.
