Zelenskiy fires slew of top officials, cites need to clean up Ukraine

The long-running fight against corruption in Ukraine has taken on vital importance as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has made Kyiv heavily dependent on Western support, and the country seeks to join European Union.

Over a dozen people were removed from office days after the arrest and denial of allegations by the Defence Ministry of graft.

"Any internal problems that could interfere with the state's functioning are being addressed and will be addressed." Zelenskiy said that "this is fair and necessary to protect us. It also helps us to get closer with European institutions."

In a video address, he said: "We need strong states, and Ukraine will be just this," promising additional appointments and unspecified steps.

Democratic and Republican US legislators praised Kyiv's swift actions against corruption, and insisted that U.S. military aid and humanitarian assistance should be continued.

"The president is able to see and hear society." He responds directly to a major public demand - justice and equality for all," Mykhailo podolyak, a Zelenskiy senior adviser, tweeted.

Five regional governors, four deputy Ministers, and a senior Presidential Office official are among the outgoing officials.

Volodymyr Fesenko, a Kyiv-based political analyst, said that some changes were planned for a while but were triggered by negative headlines.

Fesenko stated to Reuters that this was simultaneously an intensification in the fight against corruption and a response from the president...to critical articles in media.

Some announcements were linked to corruption allegations, while others were completely unrelated.

Zelenskiy's bureau stated that it had accepted Kyrylo Tymoshenko's resignation as deputy head. He did not give any reason.

Tymoshenko was a Zelenskiy campaign worker and held his position since 2019, supervising regional and policy-making regions. Local media had criticised Tymoshenko for driving flashy cars during an invasion. However, he said that the vehicles were rented.

Zelenskiy announced later that Tymoshenko would soon be replaced by Oleksiykuleba, Kyiv's governor.

'WORTHY DEED'

This shake-up came amid a prolonged freeze in domestic politics.

After a report in local media that the ministry was accused of paying exorbitant prices for food supplies and evading responsibility, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, Deputy Defence Minister, resigned. This is an old trick used to make money by corrupt officials.

Although the ministry denied the allegations, it said that Shapovalov's resignation, as he was in charge for army supplies, was a worthy act that would maintain trust in the ministry.

Premier Denys Shmyhal stated to a cabinet meeting that Ukraine is making progress in its anticorruption campaign. He stated that "It's systemic, continuous work that is very important for Ukraine and is an essential part of integration with EU."

Zelenskiy published late Tuesday decrees finalizing the dismissal the governors in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia.

Oleksiy Symonenko was removed as Deputy Prosecutor General. He had been criticized by local media for spending time in Marbella, Spain with his family.

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