Ukraine plans major reshuffle in State Border Service over corruption scandal

Ukraine’s Interior Ministry is preparing a major personnel reshuffle in the State Border Service (SBS) in response to a corruption scandal, sources close to Minister Ihor Klymenko told RBC-Ukraine.

Over the coming week, the ministry plans to implement a series of staffing changes in SBS units in western regions following a corruption scandal involving former SBS head Serhiy Deineko, Caliber.Az reports.

“Commanders of border outposts and checkpoints in the western region will be replaced. They will be succeeded by military personnel, combat officers, veterans, and SBS staff from other regions,” a source explained.

The personnel changes come after Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) conducted searches at Deineko’s offices on January 22. 

According to investigators, the former border chief was involved in a cigarette smuggling scheme across the western border and received bribes for facilitating the operations.

By Jeyhun Aghazada