Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 18
The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission.
Commission eliminates 17 candidates in first round of Economic Security Bureau leadership race
On March 14, the competition commission held the first stage of the selection process for the new director of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) – a general skills exam. Following the assessment, 17 candidates were eliminated, including the current acting BES chief, Serhii Perkhun.
Only 16 candidates scored 107 points or higher and will advance to the next stage — a legal knowledge exam.
Parliament approves civil service pay reform, rejects several salaries increases
Ukraine's Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada has passed draft law #8222, introducing a standardized pay structure for civil servants based on a position classification system. The reform, aimed at aligning public sector salaries with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development standards, was supported by 259 MPs. The reform is a requirement under the Ukraine Facility financial mechanism, with a Q1 2025 deadline.
However, amendments to raise salaries for several key ministries were partially rejected. Salary increases for the State Audit Service (DASU) were approved while proposed raises for the Justice Ministry, Finance Ministry, Digital Transformation Ministry, Economy Ministry and the Verkhovna Rada Secretariat were voted down.
While the newly adopted civil service pay reform introduces a standardized classification system, it does not immediately address the broader issue of the public sector's lack of competitiveness in the job market.
As Ugis Sics, head of EU4PAR project, noted: 'The position classification system needs to be expanded to cover all civil service roles, while fairness, transparency, and competitiveness in civil servants' salaries must continue to improve in an increasingly competitive labor market."
Zelensky signs law to purchase outdated Russian nuclear reactors for $1 billion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed bill #11392, approving the $1 billion purchase of two outdated Russian nuclear reactors from Bulgaria. The reactors, originally manufactured by Rosatom for Bulgaria's unfinished Belene Nuclear Power Plant, are set to be used for the construction of reactor units No. 3 and No. 4 at Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP). However, Energoatom still hasn't received an approval from the Verkhovna Rada to launch the construction of these reactors.
Ukrainian TV channel linked to Presidential Office receives around $4.4 million in state contracts at premium rates
On March 13, Ukraine held a state procurement auction to allocate over Hr 700 million ($16.7 million) for content production for the United News Marathon in 2025.
Major broadcasters Inter, StarLight Media, 1+1, and We — Ukraine each secured Hr 184 million ($4.4 million) in contracts. However, We — Ukraine received the highest per-hour rate at Hr 163,000 ($3,900) per hour — a rate exceeding that of other networks.
The channel has previously received the largest state contracts for producing United News content in 2023 and 2024.
The Presidential Office's alleged connection to We – Ukraine has been repeatedly discussed in the public sphere. Evidence supporting these claims can be found in reports by Detector media, Ukraiinska Pravda, and MP Iaroslav Zhelezniak's YouTube channel.
Read also: A power grab or a weapon against Russia? Ukraine's 'TV marathon' explained
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
33 minutes ago
- UPI
Trump deploys 2 nuclear submarines to deter Russia
President Donald Trump on Friday announced the deployment of two nuclear submarines to deter a potential threat made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday. File Photo by Don S. Montgomery/U.S. Navy/UPI | License Photo Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Comments made by Russian Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday spurred President Donald Trump to reposition two U.S. nuclear submarines to deter any military threats. Medvedev in a social media post suggested Trump should be wary of Russia's automatic nuclear strike capabilities and suggested the president watch "The Walking Dead" television series, The New York Times reported. Trump called Medvedev's comments "highly provocative" and viewed them as a potential threat against the United States. "I have ordered two nuclear submarines in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that," Trump said in a Truth Social post on Friday. "Words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences," Trump continued. "I hope that this will not be one of those. instances." Medvedev formerly was Russia's president from May 7, 2008, to May 7, 2012, and is the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council. Trump told reporters, "We just have to be very careful," as he was leaving the White House on Friday, ABC News reported. "A threat was made by the former president of Russia," he said, "and we're going to protect our people." Trump and his administration did not say when and where the submarines are being deployed or their military capabilities. A White House official told ABC News the president was engaging in "strategic ambiguity" in the matter. Medvedev earlier this week criticized Trump for reducing to 10 days the president's ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin to show progress toward ending Russia's war against Ukraine. "Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10," Medvedev said in a social media post, as reported by The Guardian. "He should remember two things," Medvedev said. "Russia isn't Israel or even Iran," and "each new ultimatum is a threat and a step toward war" between the United States and Russia. Medvedev cautioned Trump, "Don't go down the Sleepy Joe [Biden] road!" Trump has accused Putin of stalling efforts to reach a cease-fire with Ukraine. The president said he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours while he was campaigning last year. Putin on Friday said he wanted a "lasting and stable peace" in Ukraine, but did not respond to Trump's ultimatum, according to The Guardian.
NBC News
33 minutes ago
- NBC News
Trump moves nuclear submarines after Russian threat
President Trump said he was moving nuclear submarines in response to a threat from a top Russian official. NBC News' Andrea Mitchell reports.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Trump says he ordered subs repositioned in rare nuclear threat to Russia
Advertisement Because nuclear submarine movements are among the Pentagon's most closely held tactical maneuvers, it will most likely prove impossible to know if Trump is truly repositioning the submarines or just trying to make a point. But in Trump's sudden and escalating confrontation with Russia over Ukraine, it is the first time he has referenced the US nuclear arsenal, much less threatened to reposition it. Trump said Thursday that he intends to impose new sanctions on Russia over its unwillingness to wind down its war in Ukraine, the latest step in his gradual shift toward a more antagonistic stance toward the Kremlin. Still, such public flexing of nuclear muscles is rare even for Trump, who last made explicit nuclear threats to Kim Jong Un of North Korea early in his first term in 2018. At that time, he said his 'nuclear button' was 'much bigger and more powerful' than Kim's. That exchange ultimately led to a diplomatic opening to Kim, three meetings between the two leaders, and a complete failure of the effort to get the North Korean leader to give up his nuclear arsenal, which is now larger than ever. Advertisement But Russia is a different case, and Trump has often talked about the fearsome power of nuclear weapons, something he contends he learned about from an uncle who was on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. So while Russian President Vladimir Putin has made threats about putting nuclear forces on alert during the opening days of the Ukraine war, and may have been preparing to use a tactical nuclear weapon in fall 2022 against a Ukrainian military base, the US has never responded. Medvedev is a good foil for Trump; he regularly issues threats against the United States but is essentially powerless. Trump has referred to Medvedev's martial-sounding statements several times in the past week. It was not clear what kind of nuclear submarines Trump was referencing. The US has nuclear-powered attack submarines that search for targets, but it also has far larger, nuclear-powered, and nuclear-armed submarines. Those don't need to be repositioned; they can reach targets thousands of miles away. Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon press secretary, referred all questions about Trump's statement to the White House. This article originally appeared in
