[キーウ ７日 ロイター] – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for an end to the spread of “rumors and disinformation” that undermines unity in the war against Russia amid confusion over the appointment of the defense minister.
Ukraine’s ruling party official David Allahamiya said on Thursday that Reznikov would be replaced as defense minister by Kirilo Budanov, the head of the Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate, who would become minister of strategic industries. He just the next day effectively retracted his remarks, saying he had no plans to replace the defense minister within the week.
“We are taking personnel and institutional measures at various levels of defense and security to strengthen Ukraine,” President Zelensky said in a statement on the telegram platform Telegram, citing a speech he made in parliament on the same day. He emphasized that only the president makes decisions.
“Thank you for all the support, including the constructive criticism. We will continue reforms even in wartime,” Reznikov wrote on Twitter on the same day. “The status quo is being maintained,” he said, showing no signs of being replaced.
