Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov will most likely be fired next week, the Ukrainian publication “Ukrainian Pravda” reported on Sunday, citing government and military sources.

According to sources, it seems that Reznikov will be replaced by the head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, who was the subject of more than 10 assassination attempts.

Budanov would be the main culprit in the destruction of the bridge connecting Russia with Crimea in the eyes of the Kremlin, so he would be a constant target.

In an interview with “Ukrainian Pravda”, which will be published soon, Reznikov allegedly denied the information about his quick release, writes The Kyiv Independent.

“We have not had any conversations about my resignation from this position,” he said.

The source confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Reznikov will most likely be replaced in the near future.

Reznikov will be appointed Minister of Justice

After his release, Reznikov may be appointed Minister of Justice, as “no one in the President’s Office has any doubts” that Reznikov should remain in the government, Ukrainian Pravda notes.

According to him, the current Minister of Justice Denys Malyuska could be appointed ambassador to the diplomatic mission of Ukraine in Europe.

“Ukrainian Pravda” does not say who will head Ukraine’s military intelligence if Budanov is appointed as defense minister.

The Ministry of Defense is at the center of a corruption scandal

Reznikov, 56, has served as defense minister since his appointment on November 4, 2021, leading the ministry during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

During this time, Reznikov played an important role in the campaign to obtain and secure Western military aid, which proved vital to Ukraine’s resistance to Russia.

At the end of January, a large-scale corruption scandal broke out in the Ministry of Defense, which led to the dismissal of several high-ranking officials.

The Ukrainian publication ZN.ua reported two weeks ago that the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine purchased large batches of food for the army at inflated prices. Since then, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has opened an investigation into the alleged facts.

Reznikov’s deputy Vyacheslav Shapovalov was fired three days after the information appeared in the press.

Audit of Ukrainian military purchases

On January 31, Reznikov announced that on June 29, an inspection of the process of military procurement had begun. Initial results in December showed that the public procurement system was flawed.

When the scandal erupted, Reznikov denied any wrongdoing, saying that anyone who leaked procurement documents had committed a crime.

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