The EU welcomes the fact that the Ukrainian authorities are taking corruption charges against high-ranking officials seriously.

"We take note of the reports that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine is investigating these cases. As a general rule, you know very well that we do not comment on ongoing criminal investigations, but we do welcome the fact, of course, that the Ukrainian authorities are taking these issues seriously," Ana Pisonero, European Commission spokesperson Ana Pisonero, commented on the wave of resignations in the Ukrainian government.

At the same time, according to her, as part of the EU membership process, Ukraine is expected to further strengthen the fight against corruption, in particular at high level.

Pisonero also pointed out that following the publication of the EU opinion, Ukraine has taken several measures in the field of anti-corruption, in particular, appointing the head of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and starting the process of selecting a new director of NABU.

"Of course, there will be further actions to strengthen anti-corruption institutions," Pisonero added and reminded that the EU will assess Ukraine's progress as a priority matter in the autumn of 2023.

She also underlines that anti-corruption measures are not only a key part of the EU accession process but also one of the conditions for allocating macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.

On January 24, The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine made a number of personnel decisions, dismissing six deputy ministers and agreed on dismissals of five heads of oblast military administrations.

It has been several corruption scandals in Ukraine related to officials and deputies of various levels in recent months.

In particular, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Military Administration, Valentyn Reznichenko, is a suspect in the criminal proceedings opened after the investigation of "Ukrainska Pravda" and "Schemy" about his close friend, whose company received 1.5 billion UAH for roads in the region.

On 21 January, NABU conducted searches and detained the Deputy Minister of Hromada, Territory and Infrastructure Development, Vasyl Lozynskyi. Sources of Ukrainska Pravda reported that Lozynskyi is accused of receiving a bribe in the amount of $400,000 during the purchase of generators.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the firing of Vasyl Lozynskyi, Deputy Minister of Hromada, Territory and Infrastructure Development [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories – ed.], a signal to everyone whose actions or behaviour violate the principle of justice and promised "powerful necessary steps."