The General Staff responded to the publication of The Guardian about the "transfer of air defense to infantry"
Kyiv • UNN
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied the information from The Guardian about the transfer of air defense troops to infantry. The reassignment only concerns servicemen from security and rear units, not affecting air defense specialists.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that the claim in the British publication The Guardian about the "transfer of air defense to infantry" is unreliable and incorrect, reports UNN.
The General Staff reports that the British publication "The Guardian" published an article with the claim that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ordered the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to send unprepared air defense personnel to the front lines as shooters.
"Regarding this, the following should be noted. The claim about the "transfer of air defense to infantry" is unreliable and incorrect. In order to properly complete the personnel of the military units that are being formed and restoring combat capability, a certain number of servicemen from the Air Force units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have indeed been reassigned to positions, in accordance with their military specialties. At the same time, this does not apply to professional air defense specialists who ensure the protection of the Ukrainian sky", the General Staff explains.
It is noted that the Air Force has servicemen of various military specialties.
"It is about the reassignment and secondment of some servicemen from the guard companies of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, some rear mobile fire groups, as well as personnel not involved in the maintenance and operation of high-tech weapons and military equipment", the statement says.
The General Staff emphasizes that the situation on the line of contact is difficult, and the main thing now is to hold the front
"The decisions to transfer some servicemen from rear units to combat units are aimed at fulfilling this priority task", the General Staff states.
The General Staff emphasizes that the number of downed Russian "Shaheds" has not decreased at all.
"The air defense of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is qualitatively performing its tasks, distinguishing between the real strike drones of the enemy and UAVs of an unidentified type - mostly false targets, which are most often recorded in reports on repelling air attacks as "lost in location", the statement says.
Context
Two sources in air defense units told The Guardian that the shortage at the front has become so acute that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has ordered already depleted air defense units to release more people to be sent to the front as infantry.
"It's reaching a critical level where we can't be sure that air defense can function properly", said one of the sources, stating that he was prompted to speak out by fear that the situation poses a risk to Ukraine's security.
"These people knew how air defense works, some were trained in the West and had real skills, now they are being sent to the front to fight, for which they have no training at all", said the source.
Earlier, a number of members of parliament reported that medical personnel were being transferred to infantry.
In particular, MP Oleksiy Honcharenko claimed that he was receiving numerous appeals about professional medical personnel being transferred from military hospitals to combat positions in the infantry.
Health Minister Viktor Liashko stated that servicemen serving as medical personnel are not being transferred to assault brigades, and if such cases do exist, it is necessary to inform the command of the Medical Forces so that they can respond properly.
Later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted a decision of the National Security and Defense Council to additionally regulate the establishment of a ban on the appointment of persons with medical education to military service positions during the period of martial law.
