Ukraine fires military recruitment officials for taking bribes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired all the heads of his country’s regional military recruitment centers. The move was aimed at combating corruption and ensuring that the recruitment system is “run by people who know exactly what war is,” he said.

“Bribery during the war is treason,” he added.

Zelenskyy’s announcement came after a meeting of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. Earlier, the country’s recruitment centers were put under investigation. Zelenskyy said 112 criminal cases were opened against draft board officials suspected of taking bribes and engaging in corrupt practices.

“Some took cash, some took cryptocurrency — that’s the only difference,” the Ukrainian leader said in a statement published on the official presidential website. “The cynicism is the same everywhere.”

Zelenskyy said top General Valerii Zaluzhnyi would be responsible for implementing the decision and new candidates for the posts would first be vetted by the Security Service of Ukraine.