According to reports from activist Serhiy Sternenko, military leaders have been directed to create video messages in support of General Oleksandr Syrskyi. Sternenko emphasized that soldiers who express dissent are facing repression.
He noted that a soldier from the 425th Separate Assault Battalion “Skelya” had recently posted a message criticizing the general, after which the soldier disappeared and their account was deleted.
Sternenko questioned the rationale behind such directives and the intentions behind escalating tensions within the military ranks.
He shared screenshots from military personnel expressing their genuine thoughts on Syrskyi, highlighting the widespread opposition against him. Sternenko urged that the voices of the army should be acknowledged.
He also pointed out that increased pressure on military members tends to lead them to speak the truth more openly.
On July 17, multiple statements surfaced online regarding the higher command’s pressure tactics on soldiers involved in protests supporting former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The President’s Office dismissed these claims as “ridiculous initiatives,” while the commander of the Armed Forces’ drone systems, Robert Brovdiy, urged against destabilizing the country.
Context
- On July 15, the Verkhovna Rada approved the resignation of Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. Following the announcement that Mykhailo Fedorov would not be in the new Cabinet, protests erupted across Ukraine.
- The next day, parliament appointed Serhiy Koretsky as the new prime minister, with no votes on presidential appointees for defense and foreign affairs ministers. Media suggested Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as a candidate for the defense ministry.
- Subsequently, the government appointed General-Major Yevhen Khmara as acting Minister of Defense, following President Volodymyr Zelensky’s directive.
- Speculation arose regarding the tension between Fedorov and Syrskyi as the reason for Fedorov’s dismissal. During a July 15 “Servant of the People” faction meeting, Zelensky expressed his exasperation with the ongoing conflict between the two leaders.
- Protests against Fedorov’s dismissal reignited on July 17, with demonstrators demanding a change in military leadership in various locations across Ukraine.
