Russia's War on Ukraine Latest: Ukraine Replacing Defence Chief

(Reuters) - Ukraine is set to replace Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov with the chief of its military spy agency, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday 5 February 2023, in a reshuffle at the forefront of Ukraine's war campaign.

FIGHTING IN THE EAST

Reznikov will be replaced by Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the GUR military intelligence agency, the head of Zelensky's parliament bloc said.

Zelensky has fired a series of high level officials this year in a purge aimed at clamping down on corruption. Reznikov had been under pressure over a corruption scandal in the ministry.

Zelensky revoked the citizenship of several former influential politicians on Saturday in the latest step to "cleanse" Ukraine of pro-Russian influences.

Fierce battles being fought in Ukraine's Donetsk region "are very difficult," Zelensky said, as Kyiv braced for a possible Russian offensive this month before the first anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine.

The head of Russia's private Wagner militia said on Sunday that fierce fighting was ongoing in the northern parts of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the focus of Russian forces' attention for weeks.

Ukrainian forces remained in control of the village of Bilohorivka, the Luhansk region governor Serhiy Haidai said on Sunday, adding that the situation there is tense, but under control. Bilohorivka is the last part of Luhansk held by Ukrainian forces.

Repair crews were working round the clock to restore power systems in the Black Sea port of Odesa following a fire that left hundreds of thousands of residents without electricity, Zelenskiy said.

Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield accounts.

OIL, DIPLOMACY

Price caps on Russian oil likely hit Moscow's revenues from oil and gas exports by nearly 30% in January, or about $8 billion, from a year ago period, International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol said on Sunday.

Ukraine has sent letters to companies that back the International Olympic Committee urging them to keep Russian athletes out of the Paris Olympic Games, President Zelensky said.