Fighting in Kharkiv region continues, as Russian troops advance along front lines, erasing the gains of the 2023 Ukrainian counter-offensive. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian media publish another video fuelling the scandal related to the construction of fortifications.
A video surfaced online featuring a man angered by the so-called “dragon’s teeth” fortifications piled in Ukraine. Previously, such fortifications were supposed to deter the Russian offensive in Kharkiv and other regions.
I have only one question. Why … they are here?
Russian forces succeeded in advancing in Kharkiv region, as Ukrainian authorities failed to prepare minefields and serious engineering fortifications, The Economist reported in May.
Residents of Kharkiv also showed a construction site where a huge pile of “dragon’s teeth” had been brought in for their later deployment, probably not for military purposes.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities launched about 30 criminal cases on embezzlement of funds allocated for the building of fortifications, a member of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament), Mykhailo Bondar, stated.
About 30 criminal proceedings on misappropriation of funds during the construction of fortifications have been opened by now. Members of the commission from the Servant of the People [party], after hearing such figures, immediately tried to defend the disposers of the funds.
Law-enforcement officials reported that the total amount involved in the cases stood at 20bn hryvnias ($490m), according to him. The next meeting of the parliamentary investigation commission formed to probe the misappropriation of funds allocated for the fortifications would take place in a week, he added.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and the regional military administration will have to report on the allocation of budget funds for the construction of fortifications, their schedule and location. Afterwards, deputies of a special commission will launch an audit of the fortifications.
Reconstruction agency scandal
The head of Ukraine’s reconstruction agency, Mustafa Nayyem, resigned a day before an international conference on the country’s long-term reconstruction, The Guardian reported.
Nayyem claimed that the Ukrainian government had systematically prevented him from doing his job. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal then rejected his request to attend the event in Germany, according to Ukrainian media.
This probably influenced Nayyem’s decision to resign. He announced it in a Facebook post on Monday after having sent a sharp message to a number of foreign partners. In his statements, he criticised the Ukrainian administration for a “wide range of mistakes.”
A two-day Ukraine’s Recovery Conference will start in Berlin on Tuesday, 11 June. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will reportedly deliver a speech there. The German government called the event an important signal to Ukrainians about the long-term future of their country.
