Not just aviators: a parliament member revealed which military specialists are being transferred to the infantry of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (video).
The Air Force units have received an order from the command to send a specific number of fighters to reinforce the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that are engaged in combat at the front. A similar situation exists in other branches of the military. In particular, sappers and signalers may be sent to the frontline. Regarding the threats arising from deploying military specialists into battle, people's deputy of "European Solidarity," Alexei Goncharenko, discussed this on the "News. Live" TV channel.
Transfer from Air Force to Infantry — Goncharenko's Statement
Goncharenko stated that transfers are happening not only in the Air Force but that this situation is currently "the largest" in the Armed Forces. According to him, fighters from specialized units are also being sent to the infantry. For example, this includes signalers, sappers, engineers, as well as mobile fire groups. The deputy warned that after such actions, there will eventually be no one left to take down the "Shahed" kamikaze drones that the Russians are using against Ukrainians.
"Simply put, in the Air Force, this is currently the largest issue, but it concerns other specialized areas, such as sappers, signalers, air defense, including fire groups that are fighting against the Shaheds. This is a very dangerous situation," — he said.
The politician reminded that the military had mentioned "inflated staffing levels," part of which could be sent to the front without significant consequences. He speculated that "everyone who could have been sent has already been dispatched." Therefore, the deputy fears that mechanics, technicians, and specialists who have trained for many years, as well as those who service Western F-16 aircraft, will be sent into combat. Goncharenko noted that after losing such personnel, training new ones will take a long time.
In addition, the deputy reacted to the command's explanations regarding the difficult situation at the front, which requires soldiers to maintain control. In response, Goncharenko stated that there was no need to advance on Kursk and that it would have been better to adopt a defensive strategy and not strike the Russian Armed Forces on their territory.
"When planning the Kursk operation, it seems that the challenging situation of not having enough infantry was not taken into account. And if we are indeed lacking infantry, perhaps we should make a strategic decision regarding a strategic defense," — the deputy concluded, while admitting that he is not a military expert and cannot advise the General Staff.
What Happened in the Air Force — Details
It should be noted that on January 14, a video surfaced featuring military aircraft mechanics from the Air Force, who complained about being transferred to the infantry. In the video, it is heard that 250 fighters had already been taken from the unit, and now a new order has come for another 218. The command reacted to the situation. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine issued a statement indicating that engineers servicing the aircraft would not be affected. At the same time, they noted that some fighters from the Air Force and other branches are indeed initially sent to training centers and, after retraining, transferred to combat brigades. Following this, the Air Force command posted on their Facebook page that no further transfers would take place.
We remind you that Forbes reported on the lesson learned by the Ukrainian command after issues with the 155th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and whether this will help maintain the front.