As we noted last week, this was very likely going to happen. Oleksiy Reznikov (pictured below left) has been removed.
A corrupt minister is caught stealing and skimming money for his/her own benefit. The corrupt minister is fired and replaced with another corrupt minister, and then the clock starts ticking until the replacement makes a mistake and gets caught doing the same thing as his predecessor.
The corrupt activity in Kyiv is identical to the corrupt activity in Washington DC, because it is created by the same corrupt process. Wash – Rinse – Repeat.
(Via Politico) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced late Sunday that he will replace the country’s defense minister, even as Kyiv’s counteroffensive appears to be gaining ground with its troops pushing into Russian-held territory. [😂]
The departure of Oleksiy Reznikov as defense chief marks the highest-level turnover in Zelenskyy’s inner circle since the start of the war in February 2022. It comes as the Ukrainian government is stepping up efforts to deal aggressively with corruption allegations involving military officials.
In a video message Sunday night, the Ukrainian leader announced that Reznikov would be replaced as defense minister by Rustem Umerov, the head of the country’s State Property Fund.
“Reznikov has gone through more than 550 days of full-scale war,” Zelenskyy said. “I believe the ministry now needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society as a whole.”
There have been rumblings for weeks that Rezniko’s days were numbered. His reputation took several hits earlier this year over a handful of wartime scandals in the Defense Ministry in which officials were accused of profiteering. While Reznikov was never implicated, the revelations were a black eye not only for his ministry, but for him personally.
Zelenskyy called on the country’s parliament to approve the decision as soon as possible. (read more)
“Reznikov would be replaced as defense minister by Rustem Umerov, the head of the country’s State Property Fund.”
You know you’ve exhausted your bench when the head of the State Property Fund is now in charge of Defense.
Hmmm… IMHO, there’s a very DEEP bench of corrupt kleptocrats in the Ukraine.
Mostly what I read is the US is unhappy with the “counter-offensive”, in particular Ukkies not following US preferred tactics, so we ordered Z to replace him. Corruption is just the cover story.
It may be being used for a cover story, but the issue of massive corruption is very real.
Evidently Reznikov wasn’t giving “The Big Guy” in Washington DC his cut of the pilfered us military aid money.
“Well son of a b!tch, what do you know, he got fired.” – Joe Biden aka The Big Guy
But, what kind of new approach? The replacement Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, 41, is the current head of State Property Fund (a government agency that sells state assets to private investors), has a background in telecommunications and finance — not military — and is an Uzbekistani muslim. He wasn’t born or raised in Ukraine.
So why him? Umerov is a dealmaker.
The New York Times reported that Umerov was the chief Ukrainian negotiator of the deal with Russia allowing Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea, and has also been a prominent negotiator on ongoing prisoner exchange dealmaking with Russia. Shortly after the war started, Umerov — who attended early peace negotiations in March — told the BBC he was determined “to find political and diplomatic resolution to this brutal invasion.”
A political and diplomatic resolution with Russia.
So. If the incoming Minster of Defense has a background, not in military, but in negotiation and finance, what do we suppose they expect him to negotiate?
The obvious answer, which none of the newspapers I reviewed had the stones to even suggest, is a peace deal.”
https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/mud-man-labor-day-september-4-2023
Daw, they looked so happy together. Zelensky really has grown into his role since he almost cracked under the intensity of the light Trump shown on him and his nation during their visit together. He fits right in with the most corrupt parasites in Washington now.
Looks like fatboy LtCol Alexander Vindmann is up!
They are all taking money and these guys just got caught or thrown under the Z man, bus? Maybe the Z man wants more for he and his wife? Who knows? All I know is the people are being screwed and the Z man and his friends are getting rich! No more money for Ukraine!