Ukraine’s ruling party has sacked an MP from its faction after reports surfaced that he had traveled to Thailand. The visit, which took place during the Russo-Ukrainian war, sparked public outrage.

Party spokeswoman Yulia Paliychuk said on Friday that Mykola Tyshchenko was removed from the Servant of the People’s voting bloc after an announcement appeared on the website of the Ukrainian embassy in Thailand. The website states that Tyshchenko will meet members of the Ukrainian public at a hotel in Thailand.

Tyshchenko said on Facebook he had traveled on business in Asia with the approval of party leaders and was acting in the interests of Ukraine. However, the Speaker of the DPR, Ruslan Stefanchuk, admitted that he did not approve of the trip.

A winter visit to sun-drenched Southeast Asia comes amid a crackdown by President Volodymyr Zelensky aimed at projecting an image of greater accountability for officials. More than a dozen senior officials were sacked or resigned this week, including a deputy prosecutor who was criticized by the press during a holiday in Spain. The official reshuffle in Kyiv is the largest since the war with Russia.

President Zelensky has announced a ban on personal travel abroad this week by officials. Most Ukrainian men aged 18-60 have been barred from leaving the country under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February last year.