Friday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he announced that the regional officers for military recruitment of all of Ukraine they will be removed from their duties, after an investigation revealed many cases of corruption, abuse of power and fraud. Those responsible will be replaced by people with military experience who have already been checked and approved by the security services. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, will have to oversee the process.
Zelensky said that domestic authorities have initiated 112 criminal cases against those responsible for the recruitment, and 33 people have been charged with various crimes: people who were fired, but for whom no evidence of any crime or violation has been found, will be able go to fight at the front to “prove their dignity,” said Zelensky.
The investigations began last June, after a journalist said that the family of the former recruiting manager for the Odessa region had purchased machines and real estate with a total value of 4.5 million dollars (about 4.1 million euros) in Spain, and had raised the first doubts about a possible case of corruption and abuse of power.