Ukraine has banned government officials from publicly criticizing the work of state institutions and their colleagues.
The rule is part of a new ethics code that civil servants must follow or face disciplinary action, according to a decree posted on the government website on March 1.
The decree says the government decided to introduce standards of ethical conduct for civil servants to "restore public faith in the work of the state bodies and officials."
The move comes after Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s government barely survived a no-confidence vote in parliament last month amid growing disenchantment among Ukrainians with the pro-Western government that took power following the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.
The county is struggling with a deepening recession and continuing violence from Russia-backed separatists in the east.