Zelenskyy «off the record» asked journalists to keep quiet about corruption until victory, — Mostova

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy «off the record» asked the Ukrainian media to remain silent and not cover the topic of corruption until victory.

This was announced by Yuliya Mostova, editor-in-chief of the «Mirror of the Week» media, during the National Media Talk 2023 conference in Kyiv.

When asked about the influence of the Ukrainian government on freedom of speech during the war, she told about a case that she called «a small story where the world is reflected in a drop of water» According to her, at one of the meetings with Volodymyr Zelensky, which was not recorded, the president asked the press not to write about corruption. She did not hear this «request» personally, as she was not invited to the meeting.

«In terms of corruption, we would have accepted these conditions if the president had said in a balanced manner: «I don't want this phenomenon to eat away at our rear, affecting the capabilities of the front. And that's why this person is Andriy Borysovych (Yermak - head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, note), other people, anyone. Here is his phone. If you have argumentative tracks, facts, come please give them to this person, they will pick up the phone immediately. And give us a week to respond. If there is no response within a week, print, show, write. But give us a chance to make amends. But the president did not say that. He said keep quiet until victory», — said Yulia Mostova

She noted that this position of the president is not correct and added: «If we remain silent, there will be no victory».

We will remind you that after the publication of a journalistic investigation about the inflated prices of products for the Ministry of Defense, which included the example of eggs for 17 hryvnias per piece, the State Bureau of Investigation detained entrepreneurs.

On January 23, the Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov denied the statement that food for servicemen was provided at inflated prices.

However, already on January 24, Reznikov's deputy Vyacheslav Shapovalov wrote a resignation letter. And NABU began an investigation into the purchase of food for military personnel at inflated prices.

Due to the scandal, several officials resigned, including the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Vyacheslav Shapovalov, although the ministry called «the voiced accusations groundless and baseless.

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After that, Oleksiy Reznikov stated that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked him to remain in his current position.

David Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People faction, said that Reznikov is being «transferred» to the post of Minister of Strategic Industry. However, the minister himself later said in a comment to journalists that there were no discussions about this with him, and if there were, he would refuse, as he does not have the appropriate competence. However, the Verkhovna Rada has not yet considered the issue of personnel changes in the Ministry of Defense.

In addition, in an interview with Nikvesta, Major General Dmytro Marchenko, who led the defense of Mykolaiv at the beginning of the full-scale war, supported Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who is accused of corruption after the scandal regarding the purchase of food for the military at inflated prices. He believes that the minister could not engage in such «nonsense».

After another corruption scandal related to the purchase of winter clothing for the military, on September 4, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, wrote a resignation letter, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed him the next day.

On September 6, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint Rustem Umyerov as the Minister of Defense of Ukraine.