The political turmoil in Ukraine is at its worst during the war, and it doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.
Since Sunday, a Ukrainian newspaper’s revelation on a corruption scheme involving food supply to the military has led to the resignation or firing of a number of senior officials.
Following the scandal, Ukraine made progress toward obtaining some of the most cutting-edge German tanks in the world, whose presence at the front might alter the course of the conflict.
Last week, the newspaper Zn.ua reported that the food costs cited in a Defense Ministry contract were up to three times more than those at Kyiv stores.
The headline said, “DoD rear-front rodents take more food from military soldiers than in peacetimeOleksiy Reznikov, the defense minister, disputed the book, claiming that prices had been higher due to the difficulty in delivering supplies to the battle lines.
He was retained in his position, but the number of officers who have been sacked is growing daily as heads have begun to roll.
There are two heads of government agencies, his deputy, a deputy head of the presidential administration, three additional deputy ministers, five governors, five prosecutors in their respective regions, and three more deputy ministers.
Holding up his letter of resignation, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, requests that Zelenskyi remove him from his position on January 24, 2023. [Kyrylo Tymoshenko via Reuters/Telegram]
Six of them are alleged to have engaged in corruption, according to media reports and anti-corruption officials.
“I want it to be clear – things will not be the way they are,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a televised address on Sunday, as he pledged a zero-tolerance approach to bribery.
Once the looting began, Ukraine made one of its biggest breakthroughs on the battlefield: Germany agreed to supply its advanced Leopard 2 main battle tanks.
After months of denial, resistance and deliberation, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged on Tuesday to provide 14 tanks and allow other European nations that have them to deliver them to Kyiv.
Leopards weigh more than 60 tons, fire 120mm shells and have two 7.62mm machine guns, one of which can hit aircraft.
Germany has sold hundreds of Leopard 2s to more than a dozen European nations, as well as Canada and Indonesia. They have participated in conflicts from Kosovo to Syria.
Both Ukraine and Russia have used Soviet-designed tanks in the current war, which began in February.
Kyiv had for months advocated Leopards and other Western tanks and armored vehicles, arguing they could play a crucial role in the worst armed conflict Europe has seen since World War II.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, reportedly said in December that he would need 300 tanks, 600-700 infantry fighting vehicles and 500 howitzers to push Russian forces back to Ukraine’s pre-war borders.
