Ukraine has been pleading for Western tanks to assist it push again towards 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 throughout the war with Russia.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko requested to be relieved of his duties, based on a web based copy of a decree signed by Zelenskyy and Tymoshenko’s personal social media posts.
Neither gave a motive 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 12 months was beneath 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 tackle, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine’s give attention to the conflict 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 signal to all those whose actions or behavior violate the principle of justice.”
“I want to be clear: There will be no return to what used to be in the past,” 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.
An announcement by the Nationwide Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine described Lozynsky as a part of “an organized criminal group involved in the embezzlement of budget funds.”
It stated its detectives had 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 preventing 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 girl 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.
Comply with the AP’s protection of the conflict at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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