Senior Ukraine officials quit in corruption crackdown

This handout picture released by Deputy head of Ukraine`s Presidential Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko on his Telegram channel on January 24, 2023 shows himself holding a handwritten letter the day he presented his resignation Pic/AFP

The deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office quit Tuesday, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to launch a staff shake-up amid high-level corruption allegations during the war with Russia.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko asked to be relieved of his duties, according to an online copy of a decree signed by Zelensky and Tymoshenko's own social media posts. Neither gave a reason for the resignation. Deputy Defense Minister Viacheslav Shapovalov also resigned, local media reported, alleging his departure was linked to a scandal involving the purchase of food for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksiy Symonenko also quit. Tymoshenko joined the presidential office in 2019, after working on Zelensky's media and creative content strategy during his presidential campaign. Zelensky had promised personnel changes in the government, regional administrations and security forces following corruption allegations that emerged after Russia's invasion last February.

Also Read: Russia shoots down Ukrainian drone near its Engels airbase, reports Russian Military

Permission sought from Germany

Poland has officially requested permission from Germany to transfer its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said Tuesday. Berlin has received Warsaw's request, Błaszczak said in a tweet, though German officials did not immediately confirm that.

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