Amid Ukraine corruption scandal, Defense Minister Reznikov resigns

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Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov resigned from his position amid accusations of arms trade corruption.

Ukraine's defense minister will be replaced by the chief of military intelligence following corruption scandals, a senior lawmaker said on Sunday.

"Kyrylo Budanov will head the defense ministry, which is absolutely logical in wartime," said senior lawmaker David Arakhamia, referring to the 37-year-old chief of military intelligence. 

Reznikov, 56, will be appointed minister for strategic industries, the lawmaker said without specifying a timeline for the planned re-shuffle.

"War dictates personnel policies," added Arakhamia.

"Time and circumstances require reinforcement and regrouping. This is happening now and will continue to happen in the future," he added.

"The enemy is preparing to advance. We are preparing to defend ourselves."

Earlier, Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak stated that Reznikov could be replaced by Ukrainian Chief of Defense Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, with the decision potentially being announced by the cabinet as early as Sunday evening.

"I have not had any talks about stepping down as the minister. I repeat my answer to other media: 'Every official should understand that they are in office not for their entire life. They should start a [new] stage and complete it.' That is why I am ready for any scenario," Reznikov has earlier said as quoted by Ukrainska Pravda newspaper.

The Minister went on to say that he was proud of what he has accomplished throughout his tenure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky just announced a substantial government overhaul. On January 24, at least nine top civil servants were fired for corruption, including four deputy ministers and five regional governors, while numerous more high-ranking officials, including Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksiy Symonenko and Deputy Head of Zelensky's office Kyrylo Tymoshenko, resigned.

It is worth noting that corruption swept Ukraine long before the beginning of the war. Today, corruption plagued Kiev especially as hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons and aid stream into the country, and the cost of reconstruction activities is anticipated to be in the billions. Furthermore, many have been warning that foreign weapons being supplied to Ukraine are sold on the black market, most notably in Africa.