Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry has given unconditional authority to Ukrzaliznytsia to make personnel changes," Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelian has said.

"We have not veto rights, neither does Ukrzaliznytsia's advisory board. Anyone not fit for the job can be fired immediately. This can be done formally and the process may drag out in court. There are many other legal tricks which can be used to appoint people necessary to change the system," Omelian said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Omelian said the issue concerns the qualitative reform of Ukrzaliznytsia, which the minister said should staff with the best managers in Ukraine.

"This is what Ihor Smeliansky did at Ukrposhta. He formed a team from ace executives. I think Ukrposhta will show excellent results in the nearest months. Ukrzaliznytsia should take a similar approach. They need to hire legal, audit, railways, logistics and marketing professionals. I would prefer they be Ukrainian," he said.

As earlier reported, Ukrzaliznytsia officials have said some key employees have taken protracted sick leaves after learning about planned reshuffles at the state-run railways monopoly.