KYIV, Jan 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Five regional governors and four deputy ministers are stepping down in Ukraine against the backdrop of several corruption scandals, a senior official said.
They include the heads of the central Dnipropetrovsk region, the northeastern Sumy region, the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as the region surrounding the capital Kyiv, according to Oleg Nemchinov, a senior government official.
Nemchinov also announced the dismissal of a deputy defence minister, two deputy ministers of development of communities and territories, and a deputy minister of social policy.
Earlier, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, also announced that he had tendered his resignation and asked President Volodymyr Zelensky to relieve him of his duties.
“I thank the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the trust and the opportunity to do good deeds every day and every minute,” Tymoshenko wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
While Tymoshenko didn’t give an official reason for the resignation, Ukrainian media reported that his ouster might be part of the personnel shake-up Zelensky announced.
A decree accepting Tymoshenko’s resignation was published on the president’s website.
Meanwhile, Deputy Defence Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov also submitted a letter of resignation Tuesday following a procurement scandal.
Over the weekend, a corruption scandal emerged in Kyiv amid its ongoing conflict with Russia, leading to sacking of a senior government official from Zelensky’s administration on Sunday.
Zelensky said Monday that he will take up the issue this week and key decisions will be taken to uproot the problem. More changes are expected this week in the government, the regions and in the security forces.
“There are already personnel decisions – some today, some tomorrow – regarding officials of various levels in ministries and other central government structures, as well as in the regions and in the law enforcement system,” Zelensky said.
Thirty-three-year-old Tymoshenko had held the post of deputy head of presidential office since 2019, overseeing regions and regional policies. During Zelensky’s election campaign, he oversaw media and creative content.
According to Ukrainian media, Tymoshenko has been embroiled in several scandals related to his personal use of expensive cars ever since the start of the Russian invasion. He, however, has denied all allegations.
Notably, Zelensky, during one of his addresses, had confirmed that he had accepted the resignation of a deputy minister but did not mention who he was or what he was accused of.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal had earlier announced the dismissal of the Deputy Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure, Vasyl Lozynkiy. — NNN-AGENCIES
