Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has taken a new step forward in the fight against corruption, one of the scourges that is systematically decomposing the country. On this occasion, it targeted its forces precisely at a critical moment in the counteroffensive in the east of the country. This Friday, Zelenski ordered the immediate dismissal of all regional heads of military recruitment centers. “People who know exactly what war is and that cynicism and bribery in war are treason must call the shots,” the Ukrainian leader said in a message on his Telegram profile. This measure comes a month after the criminal prosecution of Yevhen Borissow, head of the recruitment department of the Odessa office, who is in preventive detention and who is accused, among other things, of embezzling around three million euros.
“On the other hand,” Zelensky continued in his statement, “the soldiers who have crossed the front lines who cannot be in the trenches because they have lost their health or their limbs, but have retained their dignity and have no cynicism They are the ones who can be entrusted with this work.” The President of Ukraine, who has estimated the number of criminal cases instituted against these regional commanders at 112, has delegated the Chief of the General Staff, General Valeri Zaluzhni, to succeed the military recruitment centers. Investigations leading up to these mass layoffs were coordinated by the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Security Services of Ukraine (SBU, Secret Service), the Ministry of Interior and state anti-corruption agencies.
More information
The adoption of this measure is preceded by one of the biggest scandals within the recruitment centers. At the end of June, General Zalushni dismissed the head of the Odessa office, Yevhen Borissov, from his post. Among other things, the illegal confiscation of around three million euros weighs against him. The newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported that Borisov’s family bought a house and vehicles in Marbella, southern Spain. Based on this information, investigations into all military recruiting commissars began. “Nobody,” said the Ukrainian president at the time, “will forgive MPs, judges, military commissars or other officials for defying the state.” Any internal betrayal or personal gain will at least arouse anger.”
Zelenski therefore tries to maintain a constant fight against corruption in parallel with the war on the Eastern Front and the defense of the rest of the country. Ukraine is ranked 116th out of 180 on Transparency International’s corruption list and its termination is one of the pillars of the open process with the European Union to make the country a new full member. Brussels recently declared that Kiev has already fulfilled two of the seven conditions needed to meet the membership requirements. These two chapters have to do with the judicial reform and the media law.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian territory. According to the Ukrainian authorities, this Friday after the launch of four Kinzhal missiles (hyposonic missiles) by four fighter jets (MIG-31), Moscow again forced the activation of anti-aircraft warnings across the country. One of these shells was fired just after 10:00 a.m. over the capital, Kiev. The offensive was aimed at the south-west of the country, the airfield of Kolomia district of Ivano-Frankivsk province. A missile struck a civilian area, killing a minor.
Join EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without restrictions.
subscribe to
Follow all international information on Facebook and Twitteror in our weekly newsletter.
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits