Issues relating to mobilisation reform will be addressed following personnel changes — the Office of the President
This has been reported by the media, citing sources.
The President’s Office says that, overall, feedback within the army regarding the new contracts has been negative, and has acknowledged that very few have been signed. And now, they say, ‘we need to think about what to do about this’.
“Even in discussions between corps commanders and the President, there was feedback that the contracts are somewhat problematic and that we need to look at this differently. But right now, at this time of transformation, to be honest, this isn’t the priority. Following the personnel changes, we’ll need to discuss with the new appointees – and perhaps with corps and brigade commanders – how they see this,” says a hromadske source in the Office of the President.
When asked about the Office of the President’s vision for mobilisation reform and whether there are plans to review changes that have already been implemented, the Office of the President simply replied that this issue would be resolved following the personnel rotations.
“It is clear that the contract-based system is the main model. But how this system will work will be decided after the personnel changes and with the new team in place,” noted our source at the Office of the President.
According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, as of today, only around two thousand service personnel out of an army of one million have signed new contracts. Instead, there is now “a large number of demotivated soldiers and officers who expected one set of conditions but received another”.
“The decree itself regarding the ‘experiment’ raises serious legal questions. Compare this: the pay rise within the Ministry of Internal Affairs was implemented through amendments to the budget and via the Verkhovna Rada. Therein lies the difference between a decision and a presentation. Because presentations must not turn into self-promotion: behind every slide there must be a document, a budget and a procedure. Otherwise, instead of a decision, the army will be left with disappointment,” Syrskyi wrote in a column against the backdrop of protests and allegations of conflict and sabotage.
Regarding mobilisation reform, the Chief of the General Staff noted that the General Staff is ready for change.
“The Army and the Territorial Defence Forces fall under my command, and we are ready for change: we attend all sessions in the Verkhovna Rada, report all violations to the State Bureau of Investigation, and insist on the involvement of the police. But the reform itself — the legislative and administrative work — is the responsibility of the ministry. I am looking forward to it just as much as the whole country is,” said Syrskyi.
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