The most about army reform is told by unfit, fictitiously discharged or reserved bloggers, journalists, and activists. This was stated by a representative of the "Fair Mobilization" movement, veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war Oleksiy Stalker, reports UNN.
"An interesting observation – those who shout the most about the reform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are those who do not serve. About strengthening mobilization – the fictitiously discharged and reserved. About the situation at the front – those who have never been there. Just think about it – Ukrainian military personnel are being taught how to fight and are being demanded changes in the Armed Forces by various bloggers and activists who have never been to the front line," said Oleksiy Stalker.
According to him, these are activist Vitaliy Shabunin, blogger Danylo Mokryk, and journalist Yuriy Nikolov.
"In particular, activist Vitaliy Shabunin, who, according to the State Bureau of Investigation, 'served in Kyiv restaurants' for several years, and then easily got discharged allegedly due to 'loss of vision,' which, nevertheless, does not prevent him from driving around Kyiv in a new car. Blogger Danylo Mokryk, who wants to fight draft dodgers at the Territorial Recruitment Centers and sends everyone to the front, but got himself a deferment based on a certificate from the times of the USSR. 'Corruption whistleblower' Yuriy Nikolov – arranged a deferment for himself to care for a sick relative, after he was caught by the Territorial Recruitment Center and was rescued by a friend from the police, who was later detained with weapons and cocaine for embezzling 13 million in material evidence," wrote Oleksiy Stalker.
He also noted the head of the DE JURE Foundation, Mykhailo Zhernakov, and the founder of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, Orest Rudyi.
"'Anti-corruption activist' Mykhailo Zhernakov – a ghost lecturer, was listed at the university, but no one saw him there. To get a deferment, he provided a certificate of work as a lecturer at the Kyiv School of Economics. But the director of KSE stated that this was a lie. Founder of the Anti-Corruption Action Center Orest Rudyi – at the beginning of the invasion, he left abroad for money, and after the appointment of his wife's friend Daria Kaleniuk, director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, as Minister of Defense, he returned to Ukraine and received a deferment. And this entire battalion of unlimitedly fit individuals is now in Kyiv drinking 'lavender latte' and telling the guys in the trenches from cozy studios how to fight," the veteran noted.
He emphasized that bloggers and activists make themselves moral authorities, but real authority is earned in the trenches.
"The army does not need lectures from people who have shown only one thing by their own example – how to avoid service. Because when the discharged, reserved, and 'deferred' start giving advice to the military, it is no longer about reform. It is about hypocrisy. And while they build themselves up as moral authorities, real authority is earned not in TV studios and social networks, but in the trenches under fire," the veteran emphasized.
As previously reported, the "Fair Mobilization" movement announced the creation of a "National Register of Draft Dodgers," which will contain dossiers on bloggers, anti-corruption activists, journalists, and other well-known Ukrainians who evade military service through various schemes.