Ukrainian Prosecutor General Resigns Amid Military Service Dodging Scandal
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin has announced his resignation, following revelations that numerous government officials exploited disability benefits to evade military service during the ongoing conflict with Russia. The upheaval comes as Ukraine grapples with a severe depletion of its troop numbers after more than two and a half years of fighting. Kostin shared his resignation on Telegram on October 22, shortly after a National Security Council meeting attended by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who urged Kostin to take political responsibility for the troubling revelations. In his statement, Kostin acknowledged Zelenskiy's stance as 'absolutely correct' and conceded that his own resignation was also appropriate under the circumstances. The scandal surfaced earlier this month when investigations revealed that several public prosecutors in the Khmelnytskiy region were found to have fraudulently obtained disability permits, subsequently receiving undeserved benefits. Ongoing investigations suggest that this malpractice may extend to other regions in Ukraine, prompting a nationwide scrutiny of government officials' dealings with military mobilization efforts. The sensitive nature of mobilization in Ukraine, coupled with the current strain on military resources, has heightened the urgency of the investigations. As the Ukrainian government seeks to maintain integrity in its ranks amidst the ongoing conflict, the resignation of Kostin highlights the challenging intersection of accountability, military service, and government trust.
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