The Cabinet of Ministers has dismissed State Emergency Service head Serhiy Kruk and appointed his deputy Volodymyr Demchuk as the agency's acting head, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has said.
"An internal inspection at the State Emergency Service has been completed. Additional personnel decisions will be taken based on its results," Klymenko added.
According to him, the State Emergency Service operates as normal.
Kruk was first appointed as the agency's acting head in November 2021 and later as its full-fledged head on 16 February 2022.
Reasons behind his dismissed are not disclosed.
Recently, five SES employees were notified of suspicion following the investigation into the helicopter crash involving Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyy and other Interior Ministry officials. The tragedy occurred in January 2023, when Kruk was acting head of the SES.
According to the investigation, SES officials committed blatant violations of traffic safety and air transport operation rules, which led to the deaths of people. Local media also reported on Kruk's family wealth, including three apartments in Rivne owned by his mother-in-law.