Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov will replace Oleksiy Reznikov as defense minister ahead of an expected Russian offensive and after corruption scandals, a Ukrainian MP announced on Sunday evening. The 37-year-old, "Kyrylo Budanov is going to lead the Defense Ministry, which absolutely makes sense in times of war," said MP Davyd Arakhamia.
Oleksiy Reznikov, 56, will be appointed Minister of Strategic Industries, added the elected official, without specifying the expected date of this cabinet reshuffle. "War dictates the movement of personnel," the MP explained. “The times and the circumstances call for reinforcement and concentration. This is happening now and it will continue in the future. The enemy is preparing to advance. We are preparing to defend ourselves,” he said.
Oleksiy Reznikov, one of the best-known figures in Ukraine's war, had been appointed Minister of Defense in November 2021 and helped enable the supply of Western weapons to Ukrainian forces. But his ministry has been marred by corruption scandals. His deputy was forced to resign at the end of January after accusations that the ministry had signed food supply contracts at prices two to three times higher than market prices. Speaking to the press earlier on Sunday, Reznikov did not say whether he plans to stay on. But he added that only President Volodymyr Zelensky, who last week tightened anti-corruption measures, could decide his fate. “The stress I have endured this year is difficult to measure precisely. I am not ashamed of anything, Mr. Reznikov said. My conscience is completely clear. »
