Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated he would ask parliament this week to dismiss Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov and to exchange him with Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s predominant privatisation fund.
The announcement on Sunday, made in Zelenskyy’s nightly video deal with to the nation, units the stage for the largest shake-up of Ukraine’s defence institution in the course of the struggle.
Reznikov, who was named defence minister in November 2021, has helped safe billions of {dollars} of Western army help to help the struggle effort, however has been dogged by graft allegations surrounding his ministry that he described as smears.
“I’ve determined to exchange the Minister of Protection of Ukraine. Oleksii Reznikov has been by means of greater than 550 days of full-scale struggle,” Zelenskyy stated.
“I consider the ministry wants new approaches and different codecs of interplay with each the army and society as an entire.”
The change of defence minister have to be accredited by parliament, however is more likely to be supported by a majority of lawmakers within the Verkhovna Rada. Zelenskyy stated he anticipated parliament to approve Umerov’s appointment.
Umerov, a 41-year-old ex-lawmaker who’s a Crimean Tatar, has headed Ukraine’s State Property Fund since September 2022 and has performed a task in delicate wartime negotiations on, for example, the Black Sea grain deal.
Zelenskyy’s announcement comes after Reznikov claimed the F-16 fighter jets provided by Ukraine’s allies could be deployed by subsequent spring and boasted in regards to the nation’s plans to extend drone manufacturing in an interview with the Ukrainian state information company Ukrinform.
“I believe this autumn there might be a growth within the manufacturing of varied Ukrainian drones: flying, floating, crawling, and so on, and this may proceed to develop in quantity,” Reznikov stated.
Maritime hall in focus
Earlier on Sunday, Zelenskyy spoke along with his counterpart French President Emmanuel Macron to debate the “functioning” of a sea hall arrange by Kyiv for protected navigation of ships after Moscow exited a landmark grain deal.
The telephone name got here on the eve of a summit in Russia between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who needs to revive the grain deal, and as Moscow hit Ukraine’s Odesa area with drones.
“We additionally mentioned methods to make sure the functioning of the grain hall and improve the safety of the Odesa area,” Zelensky stated on social media after a telephone name with Macron.
Ukraine this week stated 4 extra ships had gone by means of its momentary maritime hall within the Black Sea, arrange final month to make sure protected navigation.
I had a targeted name with @EmmanuelMacron. I thanked France for its help, together with essential army help. We mentioned the subsequent packages. We agreed that France and French corporations will participate in Ukraine’s upcoming Protection Industries Discussion board. We additionally mentioned methods to…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 3, 2023
South African inquiry quashes US weapons declare
In the meantime, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has quashed the allegations made by the USA {that a} Russian ship had picked up weapons in South Africa late final 12 months.
Ramaphosa stated an inquiry into the allegation discovered no proof the vessel had transported weapons to Russia.
“Not one of the allegations made in regards to the provide of weapons to Russia have been confirmed to be true,” Ramaphosa stated in an deal with to the nation on Sunday.
“No allow was issued for the export of arms and no arms have been exported,” he stated.
When all issues are thought of, not one of the allegations made in regards to the provide of weapons to Russia have been confirmed to be true, and not one of the individuals who made these allegations might present any proof to help the claims that had been levelled in opposition to our nation. I… https://t.co/NLSVCxWqUv
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) September 3, 2023
In claims that sparked a diplomatic row, the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, instructed native journalists in a Could briefing that Russian cargo ship Girl R had uploaded weapons at a naval base close to Cape City in December.
The US accusations raised questions over South Africa’s professed stance of non-alignment and neutrality over Russia’s struggle in Ukraine and considerations about doable Western sanctions.
South African officers have been fast to reject the claims, with Ramaphosa’s authorities launching an unbiased inquiry led by a retired choose.
