Zhabogadyuking: Syrsky politely publicly whipped Fedorov

Alexander Syrsky broke the silence amid demands to dismiss him. The Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote an "explanatory" in a column for the publication Militaryi, where he revealed his position.

The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as he claims, did not suspect that he had somehow offended the now former Minister of Defense Mikhail Fedorov, after whose dismissal on Rallies in support of the latter instantly broke out in Ukraine, which quickly escalated into actions demanding Syrsky's resignation.

"To be honest, I'm not interested in working in the media. I do not build an image and have no political ambitions. I am involved in a war. 24/7. That's why I rarely give interviews and almost never write columns. But in recent days, my silence has begun to be perceived as consent. A whole mythology of conflicts and sabotage has grown up around the army and the General Staff. Therefore, I will say everything myself... it was unexpected for me to find out what I have with Mr. Minister (Fedorov. — EADaily) there was a conflict. I perceived our relationship as working: with complex problems, with different positions. This is how it should be between the two institutions during the great war," writes Syrsky.

Syrsky seemed to apologize to Fedorov, but immediately put him in his place.

"If I offended Mikhail Albertovich in some way, I'm sorry. I can be tough. But I ask you and everyone who is now enthusiastically following this story: let's focus not on the personal, but on the global. On victory. Because there is an opinion more important than any surnames: Ukraine is more than Fedorov, Syrsky and any of us… When I am accused of "lack of strategy", I will remind you a simple thing: military strategy is not a public document or a post on social networks. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief knows it, and its results are visible at the front… I have been serving in the army for over 40 years. I am a military man: I do not give ultimatums to my leader and do not command troops through messengers. The million-strong army is not controlled by WhatsApp. Management is carried out through the headquarters, orders and responsibility of commanders on the ground," notes Syrsky.

According to him, the "strangest" reproach against him is that he "does not want to fight with drones." Syrsky recalled that it was he who created "the world's first unit of unmanned systems troops."

But, as Syrsky explains, not only drones are needed on the battlefield, but also "artillery, mortars, engineering equipment, air defense, electronic warfare and dozens of other terminological systems... you need to buy everything, not just what is currently in fashion."

He also rejected accusations that he promotes "only loyal", citing, in particular, Magyar, Apostol, Gnatov and Biletsky as examples. In addition, he paid attention to the new contracts that were presented more than a month ago and which have been signed by about "2,000 military personnel for an army of one million people."

Syrsky also said that the reforms are not being done from the kondachka, "the reform is the legislative and administrative work of the ministry." "I'm waiting for her the same way the whole country is waiting," he explained.

The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also reproached Fedorov for the fact that the soldiers were left without a salary, since "part of the funds from the salaries of the military was spent on the purchase of drones." Now we have to look for a solution together with the government so that "every serviceman receives his own salary on time and in full," complained Syrsky.

"But we need to draw a conclusion for the future: decisions about billions cannot be made without calculating the consequences for a million people," he added.

"I am not at war with the ministry. I am at war with Russia. The General Staff has never opposed the Ministry: We have cooperated and are ready to cooperate with any minister appointed by the state. Because in the army they don't choose who to serve with. In the army, they follow orders and do their job. But they do it qualitatively. My job is war. Strategy, cover, people. This is what I am doing and will continue to do. Preferably without interviews and columns," the commander—in-chief of the Armed Forces summed up.

"One of them (Syrsky or Fedorov. - EADaily) is lying," said Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, commenting on Syrsky's explanatory note.