The minister could be replaced soon, Ukrainian sources say.
(Photo: dpa)
Kyiv Ukraine’s recently controversial Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov is likely to switch to another department this week. This was announced on Sunday evening from the ranks of the Ukrainian presidential party Servants of the People. As their faction leader David Arachamija announced, Resnikov is to be transferred to the post of Minister for Strategic Industry. The previous head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, is to become the new defense minister. There was initially no official confirmation of the change.
In the late afternoon Resnikov had declared that he would not vacate his seat until President Volodymyr Zelenskiy offered it to him. “According to the constitution, the decision whether someone becomes defense minister or not is made by one person – the Commander-in-Chief and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky,” he said. So far, he has not commented.
Resnikov had come under criticism after a series of scandals surrounding corruption and wasting money in his ministry. Among other things, his deputy Vyacheslav Shapovalov recently resigned in connection with the scandal surrounding the purchase of overpriced food for soldiers. In addition, according to media reports, funds were embezzled in another area of the authority during the construction of barracks. Resnikov had always denied the allegations against him.
Ukraine has been repelling a Russian invasion for almost a year. The financing of military spending depends to a large extent on Western funds. The Eastern European country is considered one of the most corrupt countries in Europe.
Zelensky warns against “symbolic action” by the Russian military
With the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaching on February 24, its president has warned of a “symbolic action” by the occupying forces. There are already numerous reports and references to this, said Selenski on Sunday in his video speech every evening. Russia wants to take revenge for the defeats of the past year. “We note that the pressure on various front areas and also in the information area has increased.”
The situation in the Donetsk region is currently particularly difficult. “But no matter how difficult it is and how great the pressure is, we have to survive,” said Zelenski. Ukraine must use every day and week to strengthen frontline defenses and the country’s international position.
Many parts of Ukraine are currently under Russian fire.
(Photo: dpa)
Ukraine is currently under heavy pressure, especially around the city of Bakhmut in the east of the country. There, Russian troops and members of the notorious Wagner mercenary group have been trying to break through the Ukrainian defense lines for weeks. The Defense Ministry in Moscow reported that Russia had taken more advantageous positions in the region.
According to British military experts, Bachmut is increasingly being encircled by Russian troops, according to the British Ministry of Defense’s daily intelligence update on the Ukraine war on Sunday.
Several civilian casualties in Russian attacks on Kherson and Kharkiv
According to information from Kyiv, several civilians were killed and wounded in Russian attacks in the southern Ukrainian city of Cherson on Sunday. The Ukrainian General Staff did not provide more detailed information on the victims in its situation report in the evening. The city was fired at least 40 times from rocket launchers, damaging numerous residential buildings. The eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv was also the target of Russian attacks using multiple rocket launchers. At least five people were injured in hits in a residential building.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:
The war, which has been going on for almost a year, has repeatedly hit civilian infrastructure, although Russia claims that it only attacks military targets. According to the UN, more than 7,000 civilians have been killed since the Russian invasion.
Green faction leader is urging partner states to supply tanks
The deputy leader of the Greens parliamentary group, Agnieszka Brugger, has called on Germany’s European partners to act quickly on the delivery of battle tanks. “In view of the threat of a major Russian offensive, we have no time to lose in a major European effort to give Ukraine all the tank systems that we can somehow spare,” she told the “Tagesspiegel” (Monday). That is in the European interest.
Many countries are currently delivering heavy equipment to war zones.
(Photo: via REUTERS)
After its decision to supply Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine, the German government is struggling to obtain commitments from other countries. After the political approval of deliveries, the planned alliance is not yet complete, government circles in Berlin told the German Press Agency at the weekend. However, Poland and Canada started with concrete steps – from Portugal there was a commitment at the weekend for the delivery of more modern Leopard 2A6, which Germany also wants to give.
That will be important on Monday
The fate of Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov may be clear on Monday. A personnel change at the top of a ministry must be ordered by President Zelenskyj and approved by the Rada, the Ukrainian parliament.
More: Don’t miss any developments in the Ukraine war – everything new in our news blog