Ukraine's defense minister promises to resign if dishonest scheme in procurement of military clothing is proven
Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Aug. 25 that he is ready to resign if the accusations of summer jackets procurement instead of winter ones are confirmed.
In a conversation with the journalists, he offered to make a bet. "I propose a bet. If it turns out that the Defense Ministry really did supply 180,000 summer jackets instead of winter jackets, then I, Defense Minister of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov, will write a letter of resignation," he said.
If this turns out to be a lie, Oleksii Reznikov suggests that lawmaker Anastasia Radina, who accused the Defense Ministry of dishonest schemes, resigns from her post, and that Mykhailo Tkach, a journalist at Ukrainska Pravda, resigns from the publication because of his article and stops his journalism work for three years.
The minister also promised to provide "all documents, evidence, facts and materials" related to the case so that the winner of the dispute would be obvious.
On Aug. 10, the Ukrainian media published an investigation alleging that Ukraine's Defense Ministry had signed a contract with a Turkish company to supply winter clothing for the military in the fall of 2022. While the jackets were on their way to Ukraine, they tripled in price.
The documents show that 4,900 jackets and pants, which in one document are listed at a total cost of $142,000, are later listed at $421,000. The price for "camouflage" jackets increased from $29 per one to $86 for "winter air protection" jackets.
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov denied information that the ministry had allegedly purchased summer uniforms for the Armed Forces and stated that "the jackets will be shown soon."
On Aug. 23, a committee meeting was held at which Deputy Minister Denys Sharapov attended on behalf of the Defense Ministry. He brought jackets with him, but they were from another batch.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
