Ukraine Cleans Up Governments During War: Officials Who Are Directly REMOVEd Without Badminton

Andriy Yermak. (Wikimedia Commons/Presidentt.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian government officials who neglect their duties during the war will soon be laid off without a fur panda and not differentiated, a major aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday amid the eradication of corruption.

More than a dozen officials have been removed this week, following a series of scandals and corruption allegations amid the war against Russia.

Political analysts say President Zelensky needs to point out to his Western partners and citizens who are tired of war, if he is serious about punishing rule errors.

"Everyone must understand the level of their responsibility to the state and nation during the war. Anyone who forgets it will have a quick reaction," said Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky's office.

"This will happen to everyone who lets himself forget (his duties), regardless of his name and position," Yemak wrote on Twitter.

Among the most well-known cases was the deputy defense minister who resigned, following reports that his ministry paid a rising price to feed troops. He denied the report.

A presidential adviser highlighted by local media for driving a flashy car also stopped, as did a senior prosecutor reported by Ukrainian media on vacation to Marbella in Spain, violating a military emergency.

It is known that thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed, millions have been displaced and cities have been in ruins since Russian forces invaded Ukraine 11 months ago.

The upset President Zelensky - who earlier this week said officials and parliamentary representatives would be subsequently only allowed to leave the country on government affairs - on Thursday repeated the message.

"Unfortunately, I have to repeat it for those who have hearing impairments," he said firmly in a video.

Apart from people who are allowed to travel, "there will be no other trip abroad by officials or deputies during the war period. I think it's fair," he stressed.