Tuesday briefing

Changes in the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

Image This decision comes as Volodymyr Zelensky visits the United States. yesterday, his six deputy defense ministers deepened the housekeeping in a ministry which had been criticized for its corruption in procurement, while the military budget had exploded during the war. The government has not given a reason for the changes.

The move comes as Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, visits the United States, where he will appeal to Western leaders for additional aid for the war. He is expected to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York in person and meet with President Biden and members of Congress in Washington later this week.

In Ukraine's fight to retake territory conquered by Russia, the chain of command for battlefield decisions extends directly from Zelensky to the army's uniformed staff, bypassing largely civilians from the Ministry of Defense. Thus, the turnover should not have an immediate effect on the course of the war.

Other war news: An errant Ukrainian missile, not a Russian attack appears to have caused the deadly explosion at a Ukrainian market earlier this month, according to a Times investigation.