Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned he would ask parliament this week to dismiss Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov and to switch him with Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s most important privatisation fund.
The announcement on Sunday, made in Zelenskyy’s nightly video tackle to the nation, units the stage for the most important shake-up of Ukraine’s defence institution throughout the conflict.
Reznikov, who was named defence minister in November 2021, has helped safe billions of {dollars} of Western navy assist to help the conflict effort, however has been dogged by graft allegations surrounding his ministry that he described as smears.
“I’ve determined to switch the Minister of Protection of Ukraine. Oleksii Reznikov has been by way of greater than 550 days of full-scale conflict,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
“I imagine the ministry wants new approaches and different codecs of interplay with each the navy and society as a complete.”
The change of defence minister have to be permitted by parliament, however is prone to be supported by a majority of lawmakers within the Verkhovna Rada. Zelenskyy mentioned 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 equipped by Ukraine’s allies can be deployed by subsequent spring and boasted concerning the nation’s plans to extend drone manufacturing in an interview with the Ukrainian state information company Ukrinform.
“I feel this autumn there can be a growth within the manufacturing of varied Ukrainian drones: flying, floating, crawling, and many others, and this may proceed to develop in quantity,” Reznikov mentioned.
Maritime hall in focus
Earlier on Sunday, Zelenskyy spoke together with his counterpart French President Emmanuel Macron to debate the “functioning” of a sea hall arrange by Kyiv for secure 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 mentioned on social media after a telephone name with Macron.
Ukraine this week mentioned 4 extra ships had gone by way of its momentary maritime hall within the Black Sea, arrange final month to make sure secure navigation.
I had a targeted name with @EmmanuelMacron.
I thanked France for its help, together with essential navy assist. We mentioned the following 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 US {that a} Russian ship had picked up weapons in South Africa late final yr.
Ramaphosa mentioned an inquiry into the allegation discovered no proof the vessel had transported weapons to Russia.
“Not one of the allegations made concerning the provide of weapons to Russia have been confirmed to be true,” Ramaphosa mentioned in an tackle to the nation on Sunday.
“No allow was issued for the export of arms and no arms have been exported,” he mentioned.
When all issues are thought-about, not one of the allegations made concerning 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, informed native journalists in a Might briefing that Russian cargo ship Woman 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 conflict in Ukraine and considerations about potential Western sanctions.
South African officers have been fast to reject the claims, with Ramaphosa’s authorities launching an impartial inquiry led by a retired decide.
