Yuriy Yekhanurov

Defense Minister of Ukraine Yuriy Yekhanurov eating "a dinner of a military man of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" in the dining room of the 30th of automobile base of Headquarters of Armed Forces of Ukraine, in Kyiv, on Tuesday, May 26, 2009. Y. Yekhanurov said that escalation of the scandal around the Defense Ministry of Ukraine is an attempt to avoid responsibility for failure in transfer of army to contract basis. The Defense Minister said that the Defense Ministry prepared and sent to the NSDC and the Cabinet of Ministers the relevant propositions concerning introducing amendments to the main program documents of development of the Armed Forces. Y. Yekhanurov expressed a hope that these propositions will be adopted in coming future, including from the position of the government, which should allocate the relevant financing for its realization. The Minister also does not rule out that he will lodge a complaint in order to protect his honour and dignity, if, according to his demand, the Prime Minister of Ukraine does not apologize and chairman of the Main Inspection – Auditing Department sends in its resignation because of accusing the Defense Ministry of corruption and abuses. Photo by Sergey Svetlitsky/UNIAN