Sternenko claimed that military personnel were being pressured following demonstrations in support of Fedorov
Serhiy Sternenko, a volunteer and former adviser to the Minister of Defense, stated that following the rallies in support of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, military personnel who participated in them began to be recalled from leave and threatened with disciplinary action. There is currently no official confirmation of this information from the General Staff or the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Additionally, according to Sternenko, during a morning rally in Kyiv, representatives of the Military Law Enforcement Service allegedly attempted to detain one of the servicemembers, but left the scene after a reaction from the rally participants.
Serhiy Sternenko, a volunteer and former advisor to the Minister of Defense, spoke out about possible pressure being exerted on service members who joined protests in support of Mykhailo Fedorov following his dismissal as Minister of Defense. According to Sternenko, the incident occurred during a morning protest in Kyiv. He claims that representatives of the Military Law Enforcement Service attempted to detain one of the servicemen who had come to support the protesters.
According to the volunteer, the situation changed after the protesters began chanting “Shame!” After that, Sternenko claims, the Military Law Enforcement Service representatives left the scene. In addition, he reported on alleged new directives regarding service members who participated in the protests. “I know that Syrskyi has now ordered that soldiers who supported the protest be identified and recalled from leave as quickly as possible, and that they be threatened with punishment,” Sternenko wrote.
As of this publication, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, and the Ministry of Defense had not publicly commented on these statements. The information provided by Sternenko has not yet been officially confirmed. As a reminder, rallies in support of Mykhailo Fedorov took place in several Ukrainian cities after the Verkhovna Rada failed to reappoint him as defense minister as part of the formation of the new government.
Protesters stated that they support the continuation of reforms in the defense sector, as well as the digitization and modernization of the Ministry of Defense. In Kyiv, protesters also called on the Verkhovna Rada to appoint a new head of the defense ministry as soon as possible. At this time, no official information has been released regarding the possible recall of military personnel from leave or the imposition of disciplinary measures against them in connection with their participation in the protests. If the General Staff, the Ministry of Defense, or other authorized bodies provide their position, this article will be updated to reflect those comments. He announced this on his social media accounts.
On July 16, rallies in support of Mykhailo Fedorov took place for the second time that day in Kyiv, Lviv, and Lutsk following reports of his resignation as defense minister. Participants called on the authorities to continue the reforms that have already begun and to transparently select new leadership for the Ministry of Defense.
