Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskyy thanks parliament for confirmation of new Cabinet members

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the country’s parliament for confirming his candidates for Cabinet posts. Zelenskyy also called for the end of “rumors” amid confusion over his defense minister.

Zelenskyy thanked the Ukrainian parliament during the nightly video address on Tuesday for confirming the new head of Ukraine’s security service Vasyl Malyuk and the new interior minister Ihor Klymenko. Both Malyuk and Klymenko served as the acting heads in both departments.

“Now we have people who have acquired experience of such a war,” said Zelenskyy. “Such people have to be more present in positions at various levels in central and local administration.”

In a post on the Telegram messaging platform, Zelenskyy did not reference the confusion over defense minister Oleksii Reznikov’s reported removal following comments by an ally and senior lawmaker David Arakhamia on Sunday saying that Reznikov would be replaced. At the time, Arakhamia said Reznikov would be replaced in the midst of a corruption scandal in the defense ministry.

On Monday, Arakhamia walked back his comments, saying that there would be no changes to the personnel after Zelenskyy did not comment on Reznikov’s future and other politicians came to Reznikov’s defense.

“I thank everyone who refrains from spreading any rumors or other pseudo-information that could weaken the focus of our people in their work for the victory of Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy. “It is only by helping our country, not allowing the enemy to play with the emotions of our people, and doing everything possible for our warriors to have more weapons that we can ensure Ukraine’s success, and we will!”

The British defense ministry on Wednesday, in its intelligence bulletin, said that while Russian forces withdrew from the west bank of Dnipro back in November, there were still clashes and reconnaissance taking place in the area in the “complex network of islands and waterways, which make up the Dnipro delta.”

The ministry said that Russian forces have likely used small boats to maintain a presence on certain islands as Ukraine has succeeded in firing long-range artillery to destroy Russian outposts several times. The ministry said that both Russia and Ukraine have likely deployed small units on the Kinburn Spit in the Dnipro Gulf.