Zelensky announces the appointment of a new Ukrainian Defense Minister, after 18 months of war with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that he had decided to replace Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov with politician Rustam Omerov.

Zelensky wrote on Telegram that Reznikov “went through more than 550 days of total war. I believe that the ministry needs new methods and other forms of interaction with the army and with society as a whole.”

Zelensky said he expected the Ukrainian parliament to approve the resolution this week, given the voting body’s knowledge of Omerov. He did not explain the reasons for his replacement.

The decision came less than a month after Zelensky’s announcement Expel those responsible for military recruitment in every region of the country, citing allegations of corruption that he said could amount to treason.

“This system should be run by people who know exactly what war is and why mockery and bribery in wartime is high treason,” he wrote on social media at the time.

Reznikov was appointed Minister of Defense Late 2021This was a few months before Russia launched its invasion of the country. Ukrainians initially criticized their government leaders for not warning the public that an invasion was imminent.

Reznikov told CBS News Earlier this year It was not an oversight, but rather a defensive strategy.

“We were prepared,” he said. “But we tried to stop the panic in our streets.”

Zelensky ended Sunday’s announcement on an optimistic note. “Fall is the time for consolidation,” he wrote. “Glory to Ukraine!”