Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a call for unity on Sunday in the face of Russia’s advance into eastern Ukraine, announcing another move to “clear out” the internal enemy who had joined from the Ukrainian rear. foreign aggression.
“During the 346 days of the war I always said that the situation at the front [da batalha] it is difficult. And the situation is getting more and more difficult. Now it’s that time again. The occupier is launching more and more troops to break through our defenses,” Zelensky said in his usual daily message to the Ukrainians.
Zelensky acknowledged that the situation is “very difficult in Bakhmut, in Vuhledar, in the direction of Liman”, but guaranteed that the courage and determination of the Ukrainian army will defeat the plans of the aggressor country.
Ukraine’s president also referred to the internal enemy, arguing that the country needs to be “cleaned up”.
“I have signed the accompanying documents to take another step to protect and cleanse our country of those who are on the side of the aggressor,” he said.
Zelensky noted that the Security Service of Ukraine handed him a report on Ukrainians who have Russian citizenship and expressed his willingness to act against them.
The head of state has revoked Ukrainian citizenship of five former government officials of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, deposed in 2014 and currently on the run in Russia.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov today pledged to conduct “internal audits” at his ministry following a corruption scandal linked to army supplies.
Acknowledging that his ministry’s anti-corruption services have “failed to fulfill their duties”, Reznikov announced that an “internal audit of all government procurement” has been launched, also promising “an audit of international technical assistance”.
As Kiev sees an increase in Western military equipment and pressure mounts to dispel doubts about corruption in the Ukrainian political system, the defense minister has pledged greater transparency and control in his sphere of government influence.
However, Reznikov was evasive about the possibility of resigning, a hypothesis put forward by several Ukrainian media outlets, replying only that the decision rests with President Zelensky.
At the end of last month, Ukraine was rocked by a series of layoffs in the context of a corruption scandal exposed by the press linked to a contract signed by the Defense Ministry for allegedly overvalued food products intended for soldiers.
This was the first major corruption case since the beginning of the Russian invasion, in a country used to this kind of situation before the war.
On the basis of this case, the Ukrainian authorities have launched a wave of investigations into officials to prove their commitment to the fight against corruption.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
Source: DN
