Top Ukrainian officials ousted in anti-corruption sweep - The Washington Post

The dismissals and resignations — notably of Zelensky’s lawman main of staff, Kyrylo Tymoshenko; Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov; and Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksiy Symonenko — correspond the biggest shake-up successful the country’s enactment since Russia launched its full-scale penetration past February.

Other officials were removed outright from their positions, including respective determination governors.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a apical Zelensky adviser, tweeted that the president’s “personnel decisions attest to the cardinal priorities of the authorities … nary unsighted eyes” — adding that Zelensky “sees and hears society,” and is responding to the public’s insistence connected “justice for all.”

Another Ukrainian official, speaking connected the information of anonymity due to the fact that helium was not authorized to speech publicly, said that immoderate successful the authorities had for galore months complained astir what they saw arsenic a signifier of corruption and predicted Tuesday that Zelensky’s moves marked “just the beginning.”

Congressional Republicans, peculiarly successful the House wherever they present clasp a constrictive majority, person raised concerns astir accounting for the billions successful assistance being sent by the Biden medication to Kyiv. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), prodded by his close flank, has said determination should beryllium nary “blank checks” for Ukraine, and helium has pledged greater oversight.

One elder U.S. authoritative said Tuesday determination are nary concerns “at this point” that the quality could poison the U.S. narration with Ukraine.

But the official, speaking connected information of anonymity due to the fact that of the sensitivity of the issue, indicated determination were concerns astir however the corruption allegations mightiness echo successful Washington and beyond. “There is simply a 100 percent accidental that those who are already prone to repeating Kremlin talking points via societal media, and consenting premier clip speech amusement hosts, volition usage this to substance their isolationist ideologies,” the authoritative said.

The removal of Shapovalov was straight connected to reports successful the Ukrainian media that Defense Ministry officials bought nutrient for the subject astatine prices triple those recovered successful section stores.

The ministry has denied allegations of wrongdoing but welcomed Shapovalov’s resignation arsenic a confidence-building measure.

In its authoritative Telegram channel, the Defense Ministry said Shapovalov “asked to beryllium removed successful bid not to make threats to the unchangeable enactment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” due to the fact that of “accusations related to the procurement of nutrient services.”

However, the ministry besides said the accusations were “unfounded and baseless” and called Shapovalov’s resignation “a worthy enactment successful the traditions of European and antiauthoritarian politics.”

Other officials did not instantly springiness reasons for their resignations.

Tymoshenko, who was a cardinal home advisor to Zelensky, thanked a database of authorities agencies and officials, including Zelensky, for “the spot and the accidental to bash bully deeds each time and each minute,” but helium did not explicate his departure.

Local media, however, reported that his resignation was astatine slightest partially the effect of an probe by Bihus.info, a section media outlet, which said that Tymoshenko had commandeered for his idiosyncratic usage a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV that had been donated to the Ukrainian authorities for humanitarian assistance operations.

It was 1 of 50 Tahoe vehicles that General Motors sent to Ukraine earlier successful the twelvemonth to assistance administer assistance and to evacuate civilians from the warfare zone. Tymoshenko confirmed that helium drove the car but said it was for authoritative use.

Over the weekend, a lawman infrastructure minister, Vasyl Lozynsky, was dismissed successful transportation with a bribery lawsuit brought by Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency.

Ukraine, nether unit from the United States and particularly the European Union, has worked aggressively successful caller years to basal retired corruption, which had agelong been pervasive crossed the government. The caller allegations are peculiarly delicate and troubling due to the fact that the country, successful wartime, has been wholly reliant connected donations from overseas countries — successful weapons to combat the Russian invasion, arsenic good arsenic wealth to support the system afloat.

Oleksandr Novikov, the caput of Ukraine’s National Agency connected Corruption Prevention, said the swift measures were indispensable arsenic Ukrainians expect their leaders to beryllium taking portion successful the shared nationalist sacrifice the warfare has demanded of them.

"Despite the war, Ukrainians became much intolerant of corrupt practices and much inclined to behaviour of integrity,” Novikov wrote successful reply to questions sent by substance message. “Before the war, lone 40 percent of Ukrainians believed that corruption cannot beryllium justified nether immoderate circumstances, present — 64 percent.”

Some anti-corruption advocates successful the state besides hailed the firings arsenic a indispensable measurement that would nonstop an important connection to others successful government. “It is an wide steadfast sign,” said Daria Kaleniuk, enforcement manager of the Anti-Corruption Action Centre, a Kyiv-based enactment financed by the U.S., and E.U. arsenic good arsenic backstage donations.

In his regular evening code connected Monday, Zelensky said helium had made “personnel decisions” successful the country’s “ministries, cardinal authorities bodies, regions and instrumentality enforcement system.”

He besides said that Ukrainian officials would beryllium barred from traveling overseas for vacations during wartime.

“If they privation to remainder now, they volition remainder extracurricular the civilian service,” Zelensky said.

Shane Harris, John Hudson and Dan Lamothe successful Washington contributed to this report.