Ukraine has been pleading for Western tanks to assist it push again in opposition to Russia’s invasion.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows under.
KYIV, Ukraine — The deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential workplace give up Tuesday, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged to launch a workers shake-up amid high-level corruption allegations in the course of the war with Russia.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko requested to be relieved of his duties, based on an internet copy of a decree signed by Zelenskyy and Tymoshenko’s personal social media posts.
Neither gave a cause for the resignation.
Deputy Protection Minister Viacheslav Shapovalov additionally resigned, native media reported, alleging his departure was linked to a scandal involving the acquisition of meals for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Deputy Prosecutor Normal Oleksiy Symonenko additionally give up.
Tymoshenko joined the presidential workplace in 2019, after engaged on Zelenskyy’s media and artistic content material technique throughout his presidential marketing campaign.
Zelenskyy had promised personnel adjustments within the authorities, regional administrations and safety forces following corruption allegations that emerged after Russia’s invasion final February.
Tymoshenko final yr was underneath investigation referring to his private use of luxurious vehicles. He was additionally amongst officers linked final September to the embezzlement of humanitarian assist price greater than $7 million earmarked for the southern Zaporizhzhia area.
He has denied all of the allegations.
Zelenskyy vowed to drive out corrupt officers in feedback on Sunday, when a deputy minister was dismissed for being a part of a community embezzling finances funds. Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry later recognized the dismissed official as Vasyl Lozynsky, a deputy minister there.
In his nightly video handle, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine’s concentrate on the struggle wouldn’t cease his authorities from tackling corruption.
Zelenskyy, who got here to energy in 2019 on an anti-establishment and anti-corruption platform, pointed to suspicions within the areas of vitality and army procurement.
He stated he supposed the deputy minister’s dismissal to ship “a sign to all these whose actions or conduct violate the precept of justice.”
“I need to be clear: There will likely be no return to what was once previously,” Zelenskyy stated.
Oleksandr Kubrakov, the infrastructure minister, stated Lozynsky was relieved of his duties after Ukraine’s anti-corruption company detained him whereas he was receiving a $400,000 bribe for serving to to repair contracts associated to restoring infrastructure amenities battered by Russian missile strikes.
A press release by the Nationwide Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine described Lozynsky as a part of “an organized prison group concerned within the embezzlement of finances funds.”
It stated its detectives have been working to establish the group’s different members.
Russian shelling in a single day killed one civilian and wounded two others close to the japanese metropolis of Bakhmut, the epicenter of the combating in latest months, regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko stated Tuesday.
Russian forces additionally shelled 9 cities and villages within the northern Sumy area, which borders Russia, killing a younger lady and wounding three different folks, native Gov. Dmytro Zhyvytskyy reported on Telegram.
He stated the casualties all lived in the identical home, which suffered a direct artillery hit.
Observe the AP’s protection of the struggle at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
