Oleksiy Reznikov, Kyiv’s defense minister, will be replaced, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared on Sunday, calling for “new approaches” in the ministry a year and a half after Russia’s invasion.
Reznikov, who was appointed three months prior to Moscow’s invasion, has been in charge of Kyiv’s efforts to obtain modern weapons from friends for its military.
His dismissal, which was made public in a late-night video, comes amid Kyiv’s counteroffensive and the country’s ongoing campaign against corruption in response to EU requests.
Additionally, it opens the door for a significant shift in Ukraine’s defense circles.
“Oleksiy Reznikov has been through more than 550 days of full-scale war,” Zelensky said in his daily evening address.
“I believe that the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society at large.”
He nominated Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar who has been head of the State Property Fund since last year, to replace Reznikov.
“Now Rustem Umerov should be the head of the (defence) ministry,” Zelensky said in his evening address. “I expect parliament to support this candidate.”
A 57-year-old lawyer with limited military experience, Reznikov has emerged as one of the most recognizable figures in Kyiv’s war effort.
Ukraine’s defense ministry has experienced some controversies involving corruption since the Russian invasion.
Reznikov maintained his position but was forced to leave in January after the military ministry was accused of entering into food contracts at prices that were two to three times higher than the going rates for staple commodities.
