We don’t publish ahead of the military, but we don’t remain silent about problems either, says DeepState co-founder Pogorily.
2 March 17:12
YOUTUBE
Military analyst and co-founder of the DeepState project Roman Pogorily spoke in an interview for the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian" about the principles of publishing information from the front lines, conflicts with representatives of the General Staff, and the need for direct communication between analytical resources and military leadership.
According to Pogorily, the team adheres to the principle of not publishing information before official announcements by the military command.
“When it comes to the Defense Forces, we cannot publish anything before the president, the commander-in-chief, the brigade commander, or the soldiers themselves. In other words, if these people make an official announcement, then we can.”
He cited the example of a liberated settlement in the Sumy region, where the information was agreed with the military to ensure their safety. At the same time, according to the analyst, there are no delays in publications regarding the advance of Russian troops.
“We work according to how we receive information and how it is verified. If it is verified, we publish it. This does not violate the law and does not affect our progress.”
Pogorily also mentioned the situation around Siversk, when the resource warned of the risk of losing the city.
“For two weeks, we were shouting that we could wake up and find Siversk occupied. At that moment, the General Staff’s spokespeople said that DeepState was lying and working for the enemy.”
According to him, the very next day after public criticism from representatives of the General Staff, an official report appeared about the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the city.
At the same time, Pogorily clarified that he had not received any personal calls from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and that the team ignores any pressure on editorial policy.
On communication with the military leadership
The analyst is convinced that the commander-in-chief should maintain working contact with independent analytical resources.
“I believe he should. We tried to build this communication not so that someone could tell someone else how to report, but to solve problems and respond to them.”
He stressed that information can be distorted at different levels of command, and that reports reaching senior leadership are not always accurate. As an example, Pogorily cited the situation in Dobropillya, where, according to him, the reaction only came after public outcry.
Roman Pogorily emphasizes that DeepState operates within the law, does not publish sensitive information without verification and approval in cases involving the actions of the Defense Forces, but at the same time speaks out about problems on the front lines. He believes that open dialogue between military leadership and independent analytical resources is a necessary element of effective management and response to the challenges of war.
