In an anti-corruption purge, Ukrainian conscription officials accused of collecting bribes and smuggling individuals out of the country have been fired.
Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that more than 30 people have been charged with crimes, and that all regional officials in charge of military conscription have been removed.
Bribery during a war, he claimed, is “high treason.”
As Ukraine’s counter-offensive campaign continues, efforts are being made to strengthen the military forces.
According to the president’s administration, corruption charges “threaten Ukraine’s national security and undermine trust in state institutions.”
Replacement officials will be recruited from among people with battlefield experience who have been vetted by the intelligence service, according to the statement.
Among the claims are officials accepting cash and cryptocurrency bribes or assisting persons eligible to be called up to fight to flee Ukraine, according to Mr Zelensky in a video uploaded on social media.
According to Ukraine’s general mobilization standards, any men over the age of 18 who are physically capable of fighting are eligible to be conscripted, and most adult men under the age of 60 are barred from leaving the country.
“We are dismissing all regional military commissars,” he announced.
“This system should be run by people who understand what war is and why cynicism and bribery are high treason during a war.”
He stated that the conscription system “is not functioning properly,” adding, “The way they treat warriors, the way they treat their duties, it’s just immoral.”
The malfeasance was discovered during an inspection of local army offices.
Mr Zelensky stated that 112 criminal actions against 33 individuals were initiated against regional officials, adding that violations had been discovered throughout the country.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia has disclosed how many of their forces have been killed since the February 2022 invasion, but both have actively solicited recruits as attritional fighting continues.
•Ukraine has ordered the evacuation of areas of the north-east.
Convicts who were released to fight Wagner were accused of fresh crimes.
Ukraine on the map: Tracking the Russian War
The anti-corruption campaign is the newest initiative launched by the Zelensky administration.
Eleven officials accused of corruption resigned in January, and the chairman of the country’s Supreme Court was arrested in May on bribery charges.
Corruption in public services has long been a problem in Ukraine, and addressing it is one of the requirements for the country to join Western institutions such as the European Union.
Ukraine ranks 116th out of 180 nations in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, however efforts in recent years have seen its standing improve dramatically.
