KYIV, Feb 5 — Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said today that an audit of procurement contracts was underway after corruption scandals but declined to confirm reports that he could soon be forced to resign.

"We have started an internal audit” of all procurement contracts, Reznikov told reporters, but declined to say if he would stay on as defence minister.

"It is one person—the commander-in-chief, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—who decides whether I will be defence minister or not,” he said.

"My specialisation as a lawyer allows me to think optimistically that I will definitely find an interesting project for myself that will allow us not only to win the war, but also to punish the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation later,” he added. — AFP