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Ukraine’s Ex‑Defense Minister Says Procurement Changes Behind His Dismissal · GNN Daily Breaking News

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Ukraine's former defense minister has broken his silence, claiming that
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  Speaker 1: his dismissal earlier this month was directly tied to changes
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  Speaker 1: in military procurement rules. In an interview with local media,
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  Speaker 1: he argued that reforms designed to tighten oversight of defense
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  Speaker 1: contracts angered powerful interests and ultimately cost him his job.
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  Speaker 1: The minister explained that he had pushed for stricter transparency
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  Speaker 1: in how Ukraine buys weapons, ammunition and supplies. His team
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  Speaker 1: introduced new bidding procedures and attempted to cut out middlemen
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  Speaker 1: who had long profited from inflated contracts. According to him,
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  Speaker 1: these reforms disrupted entrenched networks inside the ministry and among
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  Speaker 1: private suppliers, sparking resistance from lawmakers and business figures with
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  Speaker 1: close ties to the military establishment. President Volodimir Zelenski announced
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: the dismissal as part of a broader reshuffle, saying Ukraine
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  Speaker 1: needed new energy in its defense leadership. Officially, the government
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  Speaker 1: framed the move as routine rotation during wartime, but the
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  Speaker 1: former minister insists the real reason was backlash from procurement reforms,
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  Speaker 1: which he says threatened corruption schemes worth millions of dollars.
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  Speaker 1: The timing is significant. Ukraine is under immense pressure to
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  Speaker 1: demonstrate accountability as billions in Western military aid flow into
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  Speaker 1: the country. Allegations of corruption and defense spending have long
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  Speaker 1: worried Kiev's allies, and Zelensky has repeatedly promised to root
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  Speaker 1: out abuses. The former minister's claims suggest that internal battles
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  Speaker 1: over procurement remain fierce even as the war with Russia intensifies.
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  Speaker 1: For Ukraine's military procurement is not just about efficiency, it
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  Speaker 1: is about survival. Delays or inflated contracts can mean shortages
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  Speaker 1: of ammunition on the front lines. The ex minister warned
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  Speaker 1: that rolling back reforms could weaken Ukraine's ability to sustain
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  Speaker 1: its defaise, undermining both battlefield performance and international trust. Ultimately,
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  Speaker 1: his dismissal highlights the tension between wartime urgency and peacetime accountability.
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  Speaker 1: As Ukraine fights for its survival, the struggle over who
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  Speaker 1: controls defense contracts has become a political battle in its
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  Speaker 1: own right, with implications for both the war effort and
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  Speaker 1: the country's future governance.