What’s happened?
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stated he has dismissed all Ukrainian military recruitment commissioners that head regional enlistment centers, planning to reorganize due to corruption cases that he claims are rampantly effecting different sectors. This action by him is part of larger sweeps made internally to reform Ukrainian governance and military structure to remove corruption that has kept Ukraine out of the EU in the past.
Corruption in Recruitment
Reuters: “Zelenskiy said a review of Ukraine’s recruiting centers revealed signs of professional abuse ranging from illegal enrichment to transporting draft-eligible men across the border despite a wartime ban. “This system should be run by people who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery during war is treason,” he said in a statement. He has said top general Valery Zaluzhny would be responsible for implementing the decision and that new candidates for the posts would first be vetted by Ukraine’s domestic security service, the SBU.”
Zelenskiy’s Full Statement
“Translation: uk-en
Held a meeting of the national security and Defense Council. Special. One key question: the results of the inspection of “military enlistment offices”. Reports: state Bureau of investigation, SBU, Interior Ministry, Prosecutor General, NAPC, NABU. In total, there are already 112 criminal proceedings against officials of “military enlistment offices”, 33 suspicions.
Our solutions. We dismiss all regional “military commissars”. This system should be run by people who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery during war is high treason. But soldiers who have passed the front or who cannot be in the trenches because they have lost their health, lost their limbs, but have preserved their dignity and do not have cynicism – they can be entrusted with this system of recruitment.
This decision should be implemented by the commander-in-chief Zaluzhny. Before appointing new heads of the shopping center, the SBU will check.
Vlk questions. A meeting of the national security and Defense Council on this issue will be held in two weeks. Now-checking and preparing proposals. There will also be solutions.??”
Additional Information
“The inspection of the territorial recruitment centres, law enforcement agencies exposed cases of corruption,” the presidency said in a separate statement.
These “pose a threat to Ukraine’s national security and undermine confidence in state institutions,” the statement said. It added that Ukraine’s Security Council recommended that the head of the army select replacements that have battlefield experience and were vetted by Ukraine’s intelligence services. It said Ukraine’s general mobilisation was a key area in which inspectors had uncovered instances of foul play.” –Reuters