The deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, stepped down after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged to shake up his staff in response to corruption allegations. Tymoshenko did not give a reason for his resignation.
Deputy Defense Minister Viacheslav Shapovalov also resigned, with local media reporting that his departure was linked to a scandal involving purchasing food for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksiy Symonenko also stepped down.
Zelenskyy had promised to change the government, regional administrations, and security forces following corruption allegations that emerged after Russia's invasion in February 2020. Tymoshenko was under investigation for the personal use of luxury cars and was linked to the embezzlement of humanitarian aid worth over $7 million earmarked for the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
Zelenskyy vowed to remove corrupt officials, dismissing a deputy minister for being part of a network embezzling budget funds. In a video address, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine's focus on the war would not distract from tackling corruption. Zelenskyy, who took office in 2019 on an anti-corruption platform, mentioned suspicions in the energy and military procurement sectors.
The dismissed official, Vasyl Lozynsky, was relieved of his duties after Ukraine's anti-corruption agency detained him while accepting a $400,000 bribe for helping to fix contracts related to restoring infrastructure facilities damaged by Russian missile strikes. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine described Lozynsky as part of "an organized criminal group involved in the embezzlement of budget funds" and is working to identify other members of the group.
