As heavy fighting persists in the eastern region, Ukraine dismisses six deputy defense ministers.
Officials announced on Monday that six deputy defense ministers in Ukraine were relieved of their duties. This decision comes in the wake of the recent removal of Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov due to his involvement in a corruption scandal. Meanwhile, intense fighting persists in the eastern region.
According to Taras Melnychuk, the permanent representative of the Cabinet of Ministers, several deputy defense ministers, namely Hanna Maliar, Vitalii Deyneha, and Denys Sharapov, along with Kostiantyn Vashchenko, the state secretary of the Ministry of Defense, have been dismissed.
Melnychuk provided no explanation of the firings, but the government has been investigating accusations of corruption in the military related to purchasing equipment. Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar lawmaker who took over as defense minister, did not immediately issue a statement.
Earlier this month, Reznikov was ousted following a scandal related to the defense ministry’s purchase of military jackets at a significantly inflated price. Despite denying the accusations, Reznikov chose to step down from his position.
The department was reorganized the day after Ukraine’s military announced the successful capture of the village of Klishchiivka from Russian troops following intense battles that lasted for months. On Monday, fighting persisted as troops attempted to maintain control of the village located to the south of the Russian-held city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region.
Its recapture followed the retaking of the nearby village of Andriivka.
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Regaining control of Klishchiivka is strategically significant as it enables Ukrainian forces to expand their territorial advances in the vicinity of Bakhmut.
The presidential office has reported that during the last 24 hours, six civilians lost their lives and 16 others were injured in another conflict.
The presidential office reported that Russians carried out attacks on residential areas in eight cities and villages in the Donetsk region, such as Avdiivka and Kurdiumivka. These attacks resulted in the death of one person and injuries to four others. Additionally, in Kherson, five artillery attacks caused the death of one person and injured another. In the town of Beryslav, Russians used a drone to drop explosives near the local bus station, causing injuries to four individuals.
Early Monday morning, the Ukrainian air force reported successfully intercepting all 17 cruise missiles launched by Russia, as well as 18 out of 24 Shaded drones in the southern regions of Mykolaiv and Odesa.
The regional governor of Odesa, Oleh Kiper, stated that an assault caused damage to a recreational facility in the town of Vylkovo. Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of any casualties. Vylkovo, known as the “Ukrainian Venice” due to its abundance of canals, is situated in the Danube delta on the border with Romania.
