Ukrainian President Zelensky sacks wartime defence minister Reznikov, nominates Rustem Umerov
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday (September 3) announced that he was replacing Kyiv's defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov, terming the move as a 'new approach' in the ministry.
"Oleksiy Reznikov has been through more than 550 days of full-scale war," Zelensky said in his daily evening address. "I believe that the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society at large."
He nominated Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar who has been head of the State Property Fund since last year, to replace Reznikov.
"Now Rustem Umerov should be the head of the (defence) ministry," Zelensky said in his evening address. "I expect parliament to support this candidate."
The announcement, made by Zelensky in his nightly video address to the nation, sets the stage for the biggest shakeup in Ukraine's defence establishment during the war launched by Russia in February 2022.
Reznikov, who was named defence minister in November 2021, has helped secure billions of dollars of Western military aid to help the war effort but has been shadowed by graft accusations surrounding his ministry.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
The change of defence minister must be approved by parliament but is most likely to be supported by a majority of lawmakers in Verkhovna Rada. Zelensky said he expected parliament to approve Umerov's appointment.
Ukraine tycoon detained: Billionaire Igor Kolomoisky in custody for two months
While the dismissal ofReznikov seems sudden, the Ukrainian media had anticipated this move as he told the local reporters about him exploring other positions, and that discussions in this regard were on with theUkrainian president.
The local media reported thatthe former defence minister had earlier said ifZelensky offered the opportunity for him to work on another project he would probably agree.
His dismissal comes amid a wider anti-corruption drive in Zelensky's administration, as it is imperative for Ukraine to weedout graft in the war-hit state since it is seen as essential to Ukraine's desire to join Western institutions like the EU.
Also read |Ukraine claims it downed 22 Shahed drones as Russia hits port on Romania border; 2 injured
According to Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index,Ukraine ranks 116th among 180 countries, but efforts undertaken by Zelensky in recent years have seen the country's position improve significantly.
Though Reznikov is not personally accused of corruption, there have been a number of scandals involving procurement at the Ministry of Defence over goods and equipment for the army.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.