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Zelensky to be the next Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K., Ukraine's Foreign Ministry announced on March 7.
Shmyhal: Ukraine aims to reduce number of ministries by one-third. According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, 20,000 government vacancies have already been cut in 2024.
Shmyhal: 8 taxpayers per soldier needed to fund military. The Ukrainian government needs eight taxpayers per soldier to ensure the state budget has enough funding for the military, Denys Shmyhal said during a press conference on March 4.
Zelensky replaces Support Forces commander. President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Dmytro Hereha as the commander of Ukraine's Support Forces, replacing him with Oleksandr Yakovets, according to his decrees published on March 4.
Ukraine closing public access to ‘International War Sponsors’ list. Ukraine is removing its ‘International War Sponsors’ list from the website of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption after representatives from several countries raised concerns, the Cabinet of Ministers announced on March 20.
Govt will adopt roadmap for liberalization of gas and electricity markets – IMF memo The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine will adopt a roadmap for the gradual liberalization of gas and electricity markets with a clear plan for its implementation for the period after martial law.
● Corruption
Court releases ex-Defense Ministry official charged with weapons procurement fraud without bail. Oleksandr Liyev was arrested in February 2024 in charges related to a corruption scheme revealed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in January that involved the procurement of almost 100,000 mortar shells, amounting to almost Hr 1.5 billion ($40 million).
● War
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said on March 27 that the Russian occupiers may be preparing for a new offensive, which is expected sometime at the end of May or in June. At the same time, he did not say which of the directions it is about.
Kremlin admits Russia 'de facto' at war, calls Ukraine 'occupying force.' Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later clarified his words, saying that "de jure" it remained a "military operation," but "de facto" had become a war.
The Kremlin plans to mobilize 300,000 soldiers to take Kharkiv and prepares for a new offensive in early summer. The Russian opposition publication Verstka reported that Russian authorities plan to mobilize at least 300,000 people in the near future to begin an operation to surround Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv.
Defense Ministry: More than 2,000 Russian missiles downed over Ukraine since start of all-out war. Ukraine's Armed Forces shot down more than
19 UKRAINE Country Report April 2024 www.intellinews.com