Because of allegations of corruption
Zelenskyi fires all recruiting office heads
08/11/2023, 4:15 p.m
For the counteroffensive, Ukraine is recruiting new soldiers from all over the country. After an investigation, cases of corruption come to light in many of the responsible offices. President Selenskyj is about to cut personnel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed all heads of the regional offices responsible for military recruitment because of allegations of corruption. The system should be run by people “who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery in wartime are high treason,” Selensky wrote in the online service Telegram.
After an inspection by the public prosecutor’s office, anti-corruption authorities and the SBU secret service, 112 criminal investigations were initiated, the Ukrainian president said. There have been violations in the Donetsk, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Odessa and Kiev regions, among others.
For its counter-offensive against the invading Russian forces, Kiev had recruited Ukrainians through regional military service offices across the country. The cases of corruption there “pose a threat to Ukraine’s national security and undermine trust in state institutions,” the Ukrainian presidency said in a separate statement.
According to the recommendation of the National Security Council, the army chief should select soldiers who have combat experience and have been checked by the secret services to fill the posts, the presidency said.
The dismissal of the heads of recruitment offices highlights Ukraine’s efforts to crack down on corruption and bribery. The European Union has made anti-corruption reforms a condition of Ukraine’s EU membership.