Ukraine’s defence minister has submitted his resignation letter after Volodymyr Zelenskiy removed him from his post on Sunday night, in the biggest reshuffle by the president of his government team since Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion began.
Oleksii Reznikov, whose ministry has been hit by corruption scandals, said he had written to the chair of Ukraine’s parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, confirming that he was stepping down.
“It was an honour to serve the Ukrainian people and work for the #UAarmy for the last 22 months, the toughest period of Ukraine’s modern history,” Reznikov posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Reznikov noted that Ukraine had liberated “over 50%” of the territory temporarily occupied by Russia, and added: “Every day our defenders are moving forward.”
I have submitted my letter of resignation to Ruslan Stefanchuk @r_stefanchuk, Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine @verkhovna_rada
— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) September 4, 2023
It was an honor to serve the Ukrainian people and work for the #UAarmy for the last 22 months, the toughest period of Ukraine’s modern history.
🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/x4rXXcrr7i
In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said he was replacing Reznikov with Rustem Umerov, an ex-businessman and former parliamentary deputy. Umerov is a Crimean Tatar, and a leading representative of the peninsula’s Turkic Muslim minority, which Russia has persecuted since it annexed Crimea in 2014.
Diplomatic sources say Reznikov may soon be appointed as Ukraine’s ambassador to London. In July, Zelenskiy dismissed the current ambassador, Vadym Prystaiko. Downing Street is likely to welcome the appointment of Reznikov, who is a known and trusted figure.
Rumours that Reznikov was to be replaced as defence minister have swirled for months. Appointed in November 2021, he played a key role in building good personal relations with Ukraine’s international partners, including the US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, and the former UK defence secretary Ben Wallace.
At the same time, Reznikov’s ministry has been hit with corruption scandals. In January, two senior officials – a deputy minister and head of procurement – were dismissed after allegations the ministry had inflated contracts for food suppled to troops, including eggs. The latest allegations involved the delivery of winter coats. The ministry is also suing to recoup money paid for weapons that were not delivered.
Zelenskiy has been trying to tackle corruption, especially in the military sphere. Last month, he fired the heads of regional military recruitment centres who allegedly took bribes from men seeking to avoid being sent to the frontline. Kyiv has applied to join the EU and the public has become highly sensitive to corruption, as the war rages with no end in sight.
“I’ve decided to replace the minister of defence of Ukraine. Oleksii Reznikov has been through more than 550 days of full-scale war,” Zelenskiy said on Sunday. “I believe the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society as a whole.”
Reznikov has not been personally implicated in scandals, and has dismissed criticism from journalists and civil society activists as smears. Defence ministry sources insist Reznikov, a lawyer, is “not a corrupt guy”. But they acknowledge that he “completely failed” to get on the front foot over the allegations, and was bad at PR “inside the country”.
In his resignation letter, Reznikov provided an overview of his 22 months in the post, praising Ukraine’s fierce resistance against Russian forces and his ministry’s lobbying efforts to secure vital military aid from the west. “There is an understanding that Ukraine is a shield of Europe in the east,” he wrote.
The continued supply of western military assistance is essential for Ukraine if it is to defeat Russia on the battlefield. Its counter-offensive in the south has made slow progress so far. There are signs that Ukraine’s advance has recently gained momentum, with Russia’s first heavily fortified line of defence finally breached.
On Monday deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv’s forces had retaken about 3 sq km of land in the past week around the Russian-occupied eastern city of Bakhmut. There was further success in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, towards the villages of Novodanylivka and Novoprokopivka, she claimed.
Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine’s former defence minister, said Reznikov had played a pivotal role in forging long-term partnerships with key foreign allies. “He’s absolutely brilliant at building relationships, with Jens Stoltenberg [the Nato secretary general], Lloyd Austin, and with Ben Wallace,” Zagorodnyuk said.
Yuriy Sak, adviser to Ukraine’s defence ministry, said Reznikov’s departure was not a surprise. He told the Guardian: “We saw it coming. President is in charge. He thinks it is the right thing to do at this stage. Reznikov’s role in helping Ukraine defend itself cannot be overestimated. He made the impossible – possible.”
Sak added: “Now his successor Umerov will continue the reforms and transformation for which Reznikov laid the foundation.”
Zelenskiy said he expected parliament to approve Umerov’s appointment, adding that Umerov “does not need any additional introduction” and that “autumn is a time for strengthening”. Zelenskiy has to submit Umerov’s candidacy to parliament for review.
Umerov has headed Ukraine’s state property fund since September 2022 and played a role in sensitive wartime negotiations on, for instance, the Black Sea grain deal. “He’s a zero-problem person. No scandals,” one defence ministry source pointed out on Monday.
He also had “excellent” relations with Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – who held talks on Monday with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi – and with the Saudis, the source said. Umerov was closely involved in negotiating prisoner swaps with Moscow, brokered by Ankara, they added.
Umerov has been praised in Ukraine for his record at the property fund, which oversees the privatisation of state assets and had been embroiled in corruption scandals before he took charge.
During the war, Reznikov’s defence ministry lobbied the west to overcome various taboos on supplying powerful military kit to Ukraine, including everything from German-made main battle tanks to Himars multiple-launch rockets. Kyiv looks poised to receive US-made F-16 fighter jets soon.
Western military aid has played a crucial role in the war, as Ukraine first forced back Russian troops around the capital, Kyiv, before launching counteroffensives in the north-east and south of the country.
