A difficult conversation could have taken place behind closed doors: why the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces met with bloggers and volunteers
13 November 2024 16:49
ANALYSIS
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi met with bloggers and volunteers. In particular, with Serhiy Sternenko, who recently found himself in the middle of a conflict related to the alleged declaration of his wanted status due to his failure to report to the territorial recruitment center.
The meeting was also attended by blogger Ihor Lachenkov, founder of the Dignitas Charitable Foundation Lyubov Shipovich, and co-founder of the NGO Principle Lyubov Galan. The participants discussed topical issues related to the activities of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, including the introduction of technological innovations and the importance of uniting society around the needs of the army. The General Staff emphasized the importance of such meetings for constructive dialog and finding solutions.
Sternenko’s reaction to the meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
According to Sternenko, he was able to personally present the pressing issues he has been raising for a long time.
“At the meeting, I emphasized the importance of creating an effective mechanism for changing the place of service for the military, as well as the need to assess the effectiveness of commanders to maximize the protection of the lives of servicemen,”
– Sternenko said.
According to him, they also discussed a number of structural and organizational issues, including the development of unmanned systems, which is especially important for air defense.
Last week, Sternenko said that Russian propagandists and the pro-Russian publication Strana.ua reported that he was allegedly put on the wanted list by the Primorskyi TCC of Odesa. The blogger claimed that the wanted order could have been related to his criticism of the military command system, which he expressed during one of his online streams. Sternenko blamed the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the story of his search. He claimed that this was a direct order from Syrsky, who was offended by his demands for army reform. However, such a statement did not prevent the blogger and volunteer from coming to a meeting with Syrsky himself.
There could have been a difficult conversation with Syrskyi behind closed doors – Selezniov
Colonel Vladyslav Selezniov, former Chief of the Press Service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in an exclusive commentary to , emphasized that such dialogues with civil society representatives are extremely important, but it is worth making sure that the official information from the General Staff corresponds to what was actually discussed during the meeting.
“I have some skepticism, because we often see generalized statements about successful meetings, but it is not always clear whether a specific agreement was reached and whether there is a response to critical questions,”
– Mr. Selezniov noted.
He cited an example from his work at the General Staff, when he organized a meeting between Chief of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko and a well-known military officer who is currently developing unmanned systems.
“It was a difficult conversation, as a result of which the General Staff did not give any official comments at the time. However, the parties reached an understanding. Only years later did it turn out that this conversation had significant consequences and contributed to the advancement of certain strategic initiatives. From the outside, it seemed that it was just an exchange of opinions,”
– said Vladyslav Selezniov.
Follow us on Telegram: the main news in brief
There are problems in the army, and we need to talk about them
Selezniov also focused on the coverage of military problems, which is often highlighted by MP Mariana Bezuhla. He noted that there is a lot of criticism around her, but often her statements point to real problems faced by the military at the front.
“Combat officers I talk to say that much of the information Bezuhla makes public really reflects reality. This shows the importance of the voice of those who know the situation from the inside and the need to take their point of view into account,”
– Vladyslav Selezniov emphasized.
According to the military man, one of the biggest problems is the lack of transparency and silence on glaring issues that arise in the Ukrainian army.
“The lack of a clear response, silence or attempts to simply “talk down” the problem will not help to achieve positive changes on the battlefield. We have two options: either we all work for the result or we just serve the budget,”
– Colonel Selezniov noted.
Social media reaction to Syrsky’s meeting with Sternenko
Former MP Boryslav Bereza criticized the recent intervention of the Presidential Office in the conflict between blogger Serhiy Sternenko and Armed Forces commander Oleksandr Syrsky. Bereza believes that instead of working on solving critical problems at the front, such as the lack of personnel and ammunition, the Presidential Office is spending time on “photo shoots and PR.”
“Photos can wait, but the frontline cannot,”
– said Boryslav Bereza.
Soldier and human rights activist Masi Nayem had earlier supported Sternenko amid the scandal and wrote:
“I will defend Sergiy Sternenko. As a soldier in the first place and as his friend and lawyer in the second place. Because he is constantly helping our unit, we have killed many enemies and this is also his merit.”
Masi Nayem
Maryna Stavniychuk, an expert and human rights activist , questioned the priorities of the Armed Forces commander Oleksandr Syrskyi because of this meeting. She also criticized the role of Presidential Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn, who, according to her, “directed and organized” the meeting.
“Does the Chief of the Armed Forces have nothing to do? He should be busy around the clock, because the situation at the front requires it! And here, instead of solving urgent problems, meetings are held with civic activists and volunteers,”
– noted Stavniychuk.
Former Deputy Minister for the Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine Heorhiy Tuka was also outraged by the meeting
“Well, how primitive and vile it all is… I met… with bloggers… with the assistance of the OPU… Syrsky… Sternenko”
Georgy Tuka
Military blogger Oleksiy Petrov drew attention to the importance of volunteering in times of war, commenting on calls to send well-known public figures like Serhiy Sternenko “into the trenches.” According to Petrov, now every Ukrainian should be useful to the army either directly at the front or in the rear.
“Every Ukrainian is measured by their effectiveness in defending the country. You are either in the Armed Forces or for the Armed Forces. There is no third option,”
– Petrov summarized, emphasizing the importance of everyone’s contribution to the common cause.
Civil society activist Anna Stulska expressed her surprise at Serhiy Sternenko’s participation in the meeting with Syrsky.
“Is Sternenko no longer a fugitive?”
Hanna Stulska
Thus, Oleksandr Syrsky’s meeting with volunteers and public figures, including Serhiy Sternenko, raised important questions about the needs of the army and innovations in defense. However, the participation of Sternenko, who is at the center of a scandal over his service evasion, provoked controversial reactions. While such dialogues are important for the interaction between the army and society, critics say that more attention should be paid to practical problems on the frontline instead. The success of the meeting depends on whether these discussions lead to real changes in military strategy.
Follow us on Telegram: the main news in brief
Author: Anastasia Fedor
