A veteran and former prisoner of war returned his medal in protest against Syrsky
Yevgen Shibalov, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war and a former prisoner of war, stated that he had mailed his only award—the “For Indomitable Spirit” medal—to the Office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The veteran explained his decision by citing his strong disagreement with the policies of Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In an accompanying letter, Shibalov accused the military leadership of using pressure, intimidation, and torture against Ukrainian servicemen in order to crush their will and dignity.
He emphasized that he is refusing the award as a sign of solidarity with his comrades who are facing repression from their own command. At the time of publication, there had been no official response from the Office of the President or the Head of State.
Source: Yevhen Shibalov on his Facebook page.
Bogdan Krotevich, former chief of staff of the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov,” publicly refused the “For Indomitable Spirit” award. The award was conferred upon him by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Logistics Forces stated that it had removed a post in which it criticized former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for the alleged deterioration of logistical support for the troops, in order to prevent its use in political disputes.
