The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has responded to a publication by the British newspaper The Guardian, which claimed that the General Staff had allegedly ordered to send air defence personnel to the front as riflemen.
According to the General Staff, the allegations of ‘transferring air defence units to the infantry’ are untrue and incorrect.
According to official information, in order to man up the military units that are being formed or restored to combat capability, a certain number of Air Force personnel have been reassigned to positions in accordance with their military specialities. This decision does not apply to air defence specialists who continue to defend the Ukrainian sky.
This includes reassignment of servicemen from guard companies, rear mobile firing groups, and personnel not involved in the maintenance of high-tech weapons and equipment.
The General Staff emphasises that the decision is aimed at fulfilling the primary task of holding the frontline, as the situation on the combat line remains difficult.
At the same time, air defence continues to perform its tasks effectively. The number of downed Russian drones, including attack UAVs, remains high. It was emphasised that ‘locally lost’ targets in the reports often refer to false targets that do not pose a real threat.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine assured that the defence of Ukrainian skies remains reliable, and that air defence specialists continue to work at the forefront of the country’s defence.