“Zelenskyy Vows Changes to Bolster Ukraine’s Military in Face of Russian Advancement”

By Tom Balmforth and Pavel Polityuk

Kyiv (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said personnel changes at the border and on the frontline would step up Ukraine’s military efforts amid uncertainty over the future of its defense minister, while Russia is advancing in the east for the first time in six months.

In his Monday night address, Zelenskyi said he wanted to combine military and leadership experience in local and central government, but did not directly address the confusion over whether his defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, would be replaced.

On Sunday, David Arakhamia, head of the Zelenskyi parliamentary bloc, said Reznikov would be transferred to another ministerial post, but on Monday he wrote that “there will be no personnel changes in the defense sector this week”.

Zelenskyy’s government is cracking down on official misconduct, the biggest political and administrative upheaval since the Russian invasion nearly a year ago.

Zelenskyy says he must show that Ukraine has been a safe steward of billions of dollars in Western military and other aid.

“We are strengthening our leadership positions,” Zelenskyy said in his address after a meeting of his top command, which was attended by the country’s commander-in-chief, sector commanders and the intelligence chief.

“In a number of regions, particularly on the border or on the front lines, we will appoint leaders with military experience. Those that can prove to be the most effective in defending against existing threats,” he said.

In eastern Ukraine, where relentless fighting has been going on for months, a regional governor said Russia was packing in reinforcements for a new offensive that could begin next week.

Russia has launched five missile and 12 airstrikes and 36 incidents of shelling in a 24-hour period, hitting targets in the south like Kherson, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in a statement Monday night.

Ukrainian planes launched nine attacks on concentration areas of Russian forces and two anti-aircraft positions, it said. Reuters could not immediately verify battlefield reports.

Ukraine itself is planning a spring offensive but is awaiting delivery of promised Western long-range missiles and main battle tanks.

The European Union said Zelenskiy had been invited to attend a summit of EU leaders, amid reports he could be in Brussels as early as this week, in what would be only his second known trip abroad since the invasion began.

Zelenskyy’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

THE FIGHT DOES BEFORE THE JUBILEE

Reznikov, a 56-year-old lawyer, has been the face of Ukraine at international meetings where allies have pledged billions of dollars in arms and received warm welcomes in western capitals – including Paris just last week.

Arakhamia had said that the 37-year-old head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, would replace Reznikov, who would become Minister of Strategic Industries.

One obstacle to replacing Reznikov with Budanov, a rapidly rising officer decorated for clandestine operations, is a rule requiring the defense minister to be a civilian.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment, and Reuters was unable to immediately reach Reznikov or Budanov.

Reznikov said on Sunday that every decision was up to Zelenskiy but he hadn’t heard anything about a transfer. He said he would turn down the strategic industry job because he lacked the expertise.

The war is reaching a turning point as its first anniversary nears, as Ukraine is no longer gaining as strongly as it had in the second half of 2022 and Russia is moving forward with hundreds of thousands of reserve troops mobilized.

Russia said its forces took Mykolaivka, a village in the eastern Donetsk region.

There was no immediate response from Ukraine, which other Russian battlefield reports have disputed.

Russia’s main target was Bakhmut, where state media said the Wagner mercenary group had gained a foothold. Ukraine said on Monday evening that Russian forces had been practicing tank, mortar and artillery fire there over the past 24 hours.

Wagner boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who is accused by Ukraine of sending thousands of Russian ex-prisoners to their deaths around Bakhmut, released a video allegedly showing him in a tactical bomber that had just hit the city.

He said he will fly a fighter on Tuesday and challenged Zelenskyy to an aerial duel.

Russia’s state investigative committee said Monday it was investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons by Ukrainian forces near Bakhmut and near Soledar.

Ukrainian forces said they never used chemical weapons anywhere, accusing Moscow of complicity in disinformation and using banned weapons itself.

Since its February 24, 2022 invasion, which it says was defending against an aggressive West, Russia has seized control of parts of Ukraine it says it will never return.

Ukraine has stated that restoring its territorial integrity is non-negotiable.

(Additional reporting by Max Hunder, Ron Popeski, Nick Starkov, and Lidia Kelly; Writing by Costas Pitas; Editing by Grant McCool)

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