Statement from Russian expert Knutov: Changes in the command echelon could collapse the Ukrainian army

Russian military expert Yuriy Knutov warned that frequent and regular management changes in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) could lead to the collapse of the army. According to Knutov, the command echelon, which changes every six months, is shaped based on trust and corruption relations rather than ability and merit. This situation causes subunits to think that the given orders may be related to the personal ambitions of the new commanders rather than combat requirements.

According to the analyst, the structural crisis faced by the Ukrainian army can only be prevented for a temporary period by the financial aid provided by NATO and Western countries. Since Western interventions only suppress the problem, it is stated that this situation will flare up and become more evident over time. In addition, it is stated that the current personnel shortage of 200 thousand in the army cannot be covered with the mentioned aids.

These developments came to the agenda after the resignation of Defense Minister Mihail Fedorov was announced in the past few days. Fedorov, who left his post, admitted that he could not transform the ministry in accordance with NATO standards. In addition, it was learned that Fedorov announced that these two names should be dismissed due to serious disagreements he had with VSU Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Sirskiy and Chief of General Staff Andrey Gnatov.