In a move signalling a shift in strategy amid Russia's prolonged invasion, Ukraine announced the replacement of its Defence Minister on Sunday. Oleksii Reznikov, who assumed the role just three months before the invasion began, will step down this week, making way for Rustem Umerov, a prominent Crimean Tatar lawmaker, according to reports.

The decision to change leadership comes despite recent reports indicating Ukrainian military troops had broken through Russia's first line of defences in several places, though they then encountered even more heavily fortified Russian positions. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv's troops, in a much-vaunted counteroffensive against Russian forces, were advancing in the Zaporizhzhia region.

White House spokesman John Kirby confirmed these developments, stating that Ukrainian forces had "achieved some success against that second line."

Ukraine shakes up defense leadership

According to news agency AFP, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky nominated Rustem Umerov to replace Reznikov -- subject to approval by Ukraine's parliament. He made the announcement on his official Telegram account, writing that new leadership was needed after Reznikov went through "more than 550 days of full-scale war".

"Oleksiy Reznikov has been through more than 550 days of full-scale war," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying. He added, "I believe that the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society at large."

Why defence minister is being replaced?

According to a BBC report, Ukrainian media has speculated that Reznikov will become Kyiv's new ambassador in London. However, few other reports cites a scandal and corruption in the Ukraine's defence ministry.

Reznikov's dismissal comes amid a wider anti-corruption drive in Zelenskyy's administration. BBC reported that while Reznikov is not personally accused of corruption, there have been a number of scandals at the ministry of defence involving the procurement of goods and equipment for the army at inflated prices.

Who is Rustem Umerov?

Umerov, 41, a politician with the opposition Holos party, has served as head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine since September 2022. According to the Associated Press reported, he was involved in the exchange of prisoners of war, political prisoners, children and civilians, as well as the evacuation of civilians from occupied territories.

Umerov was also part of the Ukrainian delegation in negotiations with Russia over the UN-backed grain deal.

The Russia-Ukraine war

Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, with its president, Vladmir Putin, announcing a "special military operation" in Europe's second largest country, Ukraine. A year and a half into Russia's invasion, Russia and Ukraine continue to carry out counter-offensives, shellings and missile attacks, killing thousands of people.

Now, Zelenskyy's recent announcement came after two people were hospitalised following a 3½-hour Russian drone barrage on a port in Ukraine’s Odesa region on Sunday, officials said. Russian forces fired 25 Iranian-made Shahed drones along the Danube River in the early hours of Sunday, 22 of which were shot down by air defenses, the Ukrainian air force said on Telegram.

According to reports, around 280,000 people have signed up so far this year for professional service with Russia's military, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, former President Dmitry Medvedev, said on Sunday (September 3).

First Published:Sept 4, 2023 8:15 AM IST