Ukraine dismisses six deputy defence ministers amid war

Hanna Maliar
Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar and five others who hold the post have been let go. -EPA

Six Ukrainian deputy defence ministers have been fired following the dismissal two weeks ago of Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov in a corruption scandal, officials say, as heavy fighting continues in the country's east.

Russian authorities said they had struck key Ukrainian facilities in air attacks overnight, hitting stores of Storm Shadow missiles and depleted uranium ammunition along with electronic intelligence centre and training facilities for Ukrainian military scouts.

The deputy defence ministers fired included Hanna Maliar, Vitalii Deyneha and Denys Sharapov while the state secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Kostiantyn Vashchenko, was also dismissed, according to the Telegram account of Taras Melnychuk, permanent representative of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Melnychuk provided no explanation of the firings but the government has been investigating accusations of corruption in the military related to purchasing equipment. 

Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar lawmaker who took over as defence minister, did not immediately issue a statement.

Reznikov was removed earlier this month after a scandal involving the defence ministry's procurement of military jackets at three times their cost. 

Reznikov denied the allegations but resigned.

The reshuffling of the department came a day after Ukraine's military said it captured the village of Klishchiivka from Russian troops after months of fierce battles. 

Fighting continued on Monday as troops tried to hold the village south of the Russian-held city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region.

Its recapture followed the retaking of the nearby village of Andriivka.

"The enemy is trying with all his might to regain lost positions," Maliar said in a briefing on Monday before she was fired.

"Therefore, our fighters hold back the enemy's attacks there and are entrenched at the achieved frontiers."

Retaking Klishchiivka is considered tactically important, allowing Ukrainian forces to further extend their gains around Bakhmut.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. 

Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in June that so far has been marked by small victories but no major breakthroughs. 

Despite being bolstered by NATO-standard weapons worth billions of dollars, Ukrainian military officials have said there are no quick solutions to puncture Russian defensive lines - only slow, grinding battles that have led to heavy losses.

In his efforts to draw more support, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is headed to the US where he is expected at the White House and on Capitol Hill this week as he visits during the United Nations General Assembly. 

His visit to Washington DC comes as Congress debates US President Joe Biden's request to provide as much as $US24 billion ($A37 billion) in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

In other fighting, six civilians were killed and 16 injured over the past 24 hours as Russia claimed to have used long-range air-launched missiles and drones to strike United Kingdom-supplied missiles and depleted uranium ammunition that can be used to destroy tanks.

"The goal of the strike has been fulfilled, all the designated facilities have been struck," the ministry said without providing specifics.

The assertions appeared to contradict Ukraine's claims that it intercepted all 17 cruise missiles launched by Russia and 18 of 24 Shahed drones in the southern regions of Mykolaiv and Odesa early on Monday. 

There was no way to verify the conflicting claims.