The General Staff has responded: what is known about the controversy surrounding the transfer of aviation technicians to infantry roles?

What They Are Saying in the Air Force

In a joint statement from the military personnel, it is noted that the aviation technical staff has been fulfilling their mission on MiG-29 fighters for over 10 years. Since 2014, the military has been preparing and maintaining aircraft, ensuring combat sorties both day and night.

"Our unit received a telegram about the transfer of almost all technicians to the infantry, which means we will be left without the technical personnel that services our planes. Previously, 250 people were taken away, and now another 218 are planned for transfer. The technical staff is effectively being destroyed, and without us, aviation will not be able to function," the aviation technicians stated.

They assured that they are trying to maintain combat readiness, but without personnel, it is "simply impossible."

"This is not just a matter of our team — it's a question of the safety of our country and our people. We are ready to fight to the last, but without support at this critical moment, we cannot stand," the statement emphasized.

Sergeant Vitaliy "Barta" Horzhevskyi from the 114th Brigade of the Armed Forces also spoke about a "real challenge" that could destroy the "very foundation" of Ukrainian aviation.

Senior technician of the engineering and aviation service of the Prykarpattia aviation squadron, Dmytro Dontsov, explained that a minimum of 8 people is required to service one aircraft, and mistakes on the ground could cost pilots their lives, for whom "many years" of training have been invested.

The situation was commented on by the legendary pilot Vadym "Karaya" Voroshilov. He noted that he personally, like every pilot, owes the aviation technicians for their constant combat readiness and the airworthiness of the aircraft.

"Are we ready to just give them up? No, because they are very specialized professionals who studied in higher military educational institutions for 5 years, gaining professional experience in the preparation of aircraft in combat brigades and in combat conditions," the sky defender noted.

"Karaya" recounted witnessing instances where engineers moved equipment to shelters under shelling at airfields or retrieved pilots from burning cockpits. Some of them gave their lives to save others on the ground.

"By giving away highly qualified engineering and technical specialists, we simply will not be able to find replacements for them, as there are almost no civilians with the corresponding military accounting specialty, and the training process is quite lengthy. As a result, this will lead to problems in maintaining and servicing aircraft — consequently, we will see a decline in the combat capability of aviation brigades," Voroshilov warned.

Transfer by Order of Syrskyi

MP Mariyana Bezuhla stated that Air Force specialists are being transferred to the infantry by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi. According to her, in Ukraine, "mobile fire groups are being reduced and entire regions are being exposed."

According to "Militarnyi," referencing its own sources, a large-scale transfer of military personnel has been sanctioned by Syrskyi's order. The publication noted that changes have affected not only aviation units but also anti-aircraft and radio-technical forces.

"This is already the third large-scale transfer of personnel. According to officers, the implementation of this order will reduce the staffing levels in some anti-aircraft missile units to below 40%. According to regulatory documents, this level indicates a lack of combat readiness for the unit," the article reported.

The General Staff Responded

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that the transfer of "critically needed specialists in the engineering and aviation service" was not planned and is not planned, and that the staffing levels of technical and flight personnel are, in fact, being increased.

"At the same time, certain categories of personnel in the Air Force, as well as in other branches and types of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, after preliminary training at training centers, are reinforcing the Ground Forces, Air Assault Troops, and similar units. The situation at the front is complicated, and there is a shortage of infantry in many areas. The decision to reinforce ground brigades at the front with personnel from other branches and types of the Armed Forces is a necessary step by military leadership to strengthen our defense," the command assured.

The press service also emphasized that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has prohibited the transfer of specialists in high-tech specialties and those who have undergone training abroad on foreign weapons or equipment.

This History Is Not New

At the end of December 2024, The Guardian reported that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ordered the Air Force to send more of its personnel to the front as infantry. An unnamed source indicated that the transfer also affected those who "knew how air defense works," and some of those who had been trained abroad. Additionally, according to the source, soldiers could be transferred as a form of punishment. One officer reported that only the wounded and soldiers over the age of 50 remained in his unit.

This information was then responded to by the acting head of the communications department of the Armed Forces Command, Yuriy Ignat. He confirmed that personnel are being transferred to the Ground Forces, calling it a "well-known fact." According to the colonel, the transfer process has been ongoing for a year, and soldiers initially undergo training.

"Of course, the transfer to the infantry creates problematic issues with staffing within the Air Force. There is a shortage of personnel, and this is also a well-known fact," he noted.

However, Ignat denied the information that this has affected the effectiveness of air defense forces. He also assured that the transfer does not concern those who trained abroad on Patriot, Nasams, or Iris-T systems.

We remind you that President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed the number of brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that are fighting on the battlefield. He noted that Ukrainian units are in need of armored vehicles and artillery.

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