- Kyiv dismissed a senior defence procurement official and five regional prosecutors in its biggest political shakeup after a major corruption scandal.
- Bodgan Khmelnytsky, responsible for army procurement, was dismissed after being suspended in December.
- Deputy minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov resigned after accusations related to army logistical support and food contracts.
- Media accused the defence ministry of signing food contracts at two to three times normal prices; the ministry initially called reports false.
- The ministry later admitted errors, pledged procurement transparency and price checks; Western allies link aid to anti-corruption reforms.
Kyiv on Wednesday dismissed more officials in its biggest political shakeup following the country’s major corruption scandal linked to the Russian invasion.
Authorities announced the departure of a senior defence ministry official as well as five regional prosecutors.
Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that an official in charge of army procurement, Bodgan Khmelnytsky, had been dismissed after being suspended in December.
The defence ministry has been accused by media of signing food contracts at prices two or three times higher than current rate for basic foodstuff.
Following the accusations the defence ministry on Tuesday announced the resignation of deputy minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who worked on providing logistical support for the army.
Initially the defence ministry called the media reports “false” and said it “purchases relevant products in accordance with the procedure established by law”.
But on Wednesday, the ministry said it was ready to “make procurement more transparent and budget funds more accessible to public control”.
The head of the parliamentary anti-corruption committee, Anastasia Radina, also said that the ministry admitted “errors” related to food contracts and were “checking and examining prices to correct them.”
Separately, the General Prosecutor’s Office said it dismissed the regional prosecutors of the southern regions of Poltava, central Kirovograd and northern Poltava, Sumy and Chernigiv regions.
On Tuesday, Kyiv announced the dismissal of a dozen top officials including key presidential aide Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
Some of the dismissals were not linked to the food contract scandal, but to other offences.
Western allies have allocated billions of dollars in financial and military aid to Kyiv to counter Russian troops, often preconditioning the support on anti-corruption reforms.
Ukraine has long suffered endemic corruption, but Moscow’s nearly year-long full-scale war has overshadowed government efforts to stamp out graft.
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