Ukrainian president sacks senior security and defense official

KYIV, Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday fired Ruslan Demchenko as the first deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

Ukrainian national news agency Ukrinform reported the decision, citing the presidential sources.

"Ruslan Mykhailovych Demchenko shall be released from the post of First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine," according to the agency.

Zelenskyy fired Demchenko, who was appointed in 2020, by a presidential decree.

Last week, the president fired the country’s top prosecutor and security chief, Iryna Venediktova and Ivan Bakanov.