In an anti-corruption operation, conscription officials in Ukraine who were accused of accepting bribes and smuggling people out of the country were fired.
More than 30 people are charged with crimes, according to Volodymyr Zelensky, who also announced the removal of all regional officials in charge of military conscription.
Bribery, in his words, is “high treason” during a time of war.
It occurs as Ukraine’s counteroffensive operation continues and attempts are made to strengthen the military forces.
Allegations of corruption “pose a threat to Ukraine’s national security and undermine confidence in state institutions,” according to a statement from the president’s office.
It said that people with military experience who have undergone vetting by the intelligence service will be chosen to serve as replacement officials.
One of the accusations, according to Mr. Zelensky in a video shared on social media, is that officials helped persons eligible to be called up to fight leave Ukraine or accepted cash and cryptocurrency bribes from officials.
All men in Ukraine who are physically capable of fighting over the age of 18 are eligible for conscription, and the majority of adult men under the age of 60 are forbidden from leaving the country.
He announced, “We are dismissing all regional military commissars.”
“People who understand exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery during a time of war is high treason” should administer this system.
He stated that the system of conscription “is not working decently” and added, “The way they treat warriors, the way they treat their duties, it’s just immoral.”
After an assessment of the local army offices, the corruption was discovered.
According to Mr. Zelensky, violations against regional officials have been discovered all around the nation, and 112 criminal processes have been opened against 33 suspects.
Despite not disclosing the number of deaths among their troops since the invasion in February 2022, Russia and Ukraine have both been aggressively recruiting new troops.
The Zelensky administration has recently begun a new anti-corruption campaign.
Ukraine has a long history of corruption in the public sector, and eliminating it is one of the requirements for joining Western institutions like the European Union.
Ukraine is ranked 116th out of 180 nations in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, but because to recent improvements, it is now in a much better place.