President Zelenskyy of Ukraine Announces Upcoming Replacement of Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Sunday that he will replace Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov this week, appointing Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar legislator, to the role. In an official statement on his Telegram account, Zelenskyy cited the need for new strategies and enhanced methods of engagement with both the armed forces and the broader society as reasons for the change. He emphasized that Reznikov has been at the helm through over 550 days of intense warfare.

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In unrelated events, two individuals were admitted to the hospital after a 3.5-hour aerial assault by Russian drones on Ukraine’s Odesa region seaport on Sunday. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that of the 25 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Russian forces along the Danube River in the early morning hours, 22 were intercepted and destroyed by air defense systems.

This assault on the Reni seaport occurred just one day before a scheduled meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The leaders are expected to discuss the reinstatement of food exports from Ukraine as part of a Black Sea grain agreement that Russia withdrew from in July.

Andriy Yermak, the Chief of Staff to President Zelenskyy, categorized the attack as a Russian effort “to instigate a global food and hunger crisis.” Russia’s Defense Ministry retorted that the objective of the assault was to target fuel depots used for military purposes.

The upcoming summit between Putin and Erdogan in Sochi will focus on the renewal of the Black Sea grain accord, which had been facilitated by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022. This arrangement had enabled almost 33 million metric tons of grain and additional commodities to be exported from three Ukrainian ports, notwithstanding the ongoing Russian conflict. However, Russia terminated its participation in the pact, alleging that a companion agreement meant to ease Russian food and fertilizer exports had not been fulfilled. Moscow expressed grievances over limitations on shipping and insurance, despite achieving record wheat exports since last year.

This Sochi meeting follows a discussion between Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers last Thursday, during which Russia submitted a list of conditions that Western nations must meet for Ukraine’s Black Sea exports to resume. Erdogan had previously indicated his alignment with Putin’s perspective, stating in July that Western nations should act decisively regarding the Black Sea agreement.

In other developments across Ukraine, the Prosecutors’ Office reported three fatalities caused by Russian artillery attacks in the Donetsk region on Sunday. Among the deceased was an 85-year-old man whose home was destroyed by the bombing. Additionally, a 36-year-old man lost his life due to another Russian strike in Ukraine’s Kherson area.

The Ukrainian authorities declared on Sunday the initiation of a war crimes investigation concerning the demise of a police officer, who was killed by Russian artillery in the town of Seredyna-Buda on Saturday. Two other police officers and a civilian were also injured in this attack, which took place in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy region.

For ongoing coverage of the conflict, please refer to AP’s website: Russia-Ukraine War Coverage

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More about Ukraine Defense Minister Replacement

• Ukraine’s President Announces Defense Minister Replacement
• Details on the Russian Drone Attacks in Ukraine
• Preview of Putin-Erdogan Meeting
• The Black Sea Grain Agreement
• War Crimes Investigation in Ukraine
• International Involvement in Black Sea Grain Agreement
• Russia’s Stance on Black Sea Grain Agreement
• Erdogan’s Views on the Black Sea Grain Agreement
• Ongoing Conflicts in Ukraine
• AP’s Coverage of Russia-Ukraine War