… as counteroffensive gains ground
After a series of corruption scandals – from overpriced eggs to questionable winter jackets for the army – Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov resigned voluntarily, referring to the president Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky named his candidate for the ministerial post – Rustem Umerov – to be approved by a parliamentary vote. Umerov, who is currently the head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, is a lawyer of Crimean Tatar origin with good contacts in Ankara. The appointment of a civilian as a defence minister is in line with Nato standards which Ukraine is aiming for, leaving the General Headquarters to make the military decisions on the counteroffensive which is going slowly but confidently. Reznikov’s next stop might be London, as there is no Ukrainian ambassador at the moment.
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