Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that he had decided to replace Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov with politician Rustem Umyerov.
Reznikov “went through more than 550 days of large-scale war. I believe that the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction both with the military and with society as a whole,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
Zelensky said he expected Ukraine’s parliament to pass the decision this week, given the electoral body’s familiarity with Umyerov. He did not elaborate on his reasons for the replacement.
The decision came less than a month after Zelensky fired officials in charge of conscription in all regions of the country, citing corruption allegations that he said could amount to treason.
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“This system should be run by people who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery in wartime are treason,” he wrote on social media at the time.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov speaks during a press conference on August 28, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Andriy Zhyhaylo/Obozrevatel/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Reznikov was appointed defense minister at the end of 2021, a few months before Russia began its invasion of the country. Ukrainians initially criticized their government leaders for failing to warn the public about the impending invasion.
Reznikov told CBS News earlier this year that it was not an oversight but a defensive strategy.
“We were prepared. But we tried to stop the panic on our streets,” he said.
Zelensky ended Sunday’s announcement on an optimistic note. “Autumn is a time of empowerment,” he wrote. “Glory to Ukraine!”
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