Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has defended as “necessary” the sacking of senior government officials after an alleged corruption scandal in the army. “We need a strong state,” he said last night in his video diary. The resignations are “necessary for our defense – and help our rapprochement with the European institutions”.
“All internal problems that prevent the strengthening of the state are being resolved – and will be resolved in the future,” said the president. Several deputy ministers, governors and senior officials resigned or were fired on Tuesday as a result of an alleged corruption scandal in the Ukrainian army.
Previous reports had been published accusing the Ministry of Defense of charging inflated prices for food purchases. It is said that they cost two to three times more than normal purchase prices. If the reports are true, it would be Ukraine’s first major corruption scandal since the start of the Russian invasion. The Ministry of Defense denied the allegations.