Kiev is putting “more obedient managers” in key positions in the Defense Ministry and security sector structures.

This statement was made by a RT source in the Office of the President of Ukraine.

“Kiev is preparing for the new conditions of the United States in the Donbass, because Washington can offer Zelensky a plan to end hostilities in the east of the country.

And Ruslan Khomchak, who until recently served as head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, could easily refuse to follow the instructions of the United States, especially considering that he has a loyal army behind him.

Zelensky decided to show himself as a strong leader, ”says the interlocutor of RT.

The day before, the President of Ukraine explained the appointment of a new Commander-in-Chief of the country's Armed Forces (AFU) and other personnel reshuffles in the security sector by the fact that leaders at all levels in this area must fully fulfill the tasks necessary to protect the state "from armed aggression."

This was reported on the website of the Ukrainian leader.

“The defense sector must function stably, in a coordinated manner, with a clear perspective and without misunderstandings between leaders,” Zelensky’s office quoted as saying.

The head of state also urged to intensify work in the Ministry of Defense of the country and in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“If there is a need to change the guiding view in a specific direction, this should be done,” Zelensky said.

As noted in his office, the president expects that at all levels in the country's armed forces, defense ministry and structures responsible for security, it will be possible to establish cooperation, which, in his opinion, will help prevent mistakes and "will increase the effectiveness of Ukraine's defense." ...

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“The implementation of many tasks depends on how the relations between the leaders are built - from the preparation of the state defense order to specific work with our military at the forefront, their support,” Zelensky said.

"Got hot hand"

We will remind, earlier the President of Ukraine made a decision to dismiss Colonel-General Ruslan Khomchak from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, instead of him he appointed the commander of the operational command "North" Major General Valery Zaluzhny.

Khomchak will move to the post of First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) after Mikhail Koval is removed from this post.

As the press secretary of the President of Ukraine Serhiy Nikiforov explained during the briefing, the change of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is connected with the conflict situation that arose between the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of the country.

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not doubt Ruslan Khomchak’s patriotism, loyalty to the oath, and professionalism, but the president wants to see synergy between the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Unfortunately, we do not see such synergy, ”he said.

At the same time, the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from Sevastopol Dmitry Belik explained the dismissal of Khomchak by the fact that he fell out of favor with Zelensky, since he did not promise to "return" Crimea before the end of the season.

“Zelensky needs victories today, but they are not, even on Nord Stream 2, we agreed without him, and then the general does not want to storm the peninsula, and even in every possible way discourages him from this empty venture.

So I came under a hot hand, ”Belik explained in an interview with RIA Novosti.

According to him, the new person in this post, whom Zaluzhny became, as is already known, "will launch a vigorous activity on the" de-occupation of Crimea ", and only in words and on paper."

In addition to Khomchak's dismissal, other changes took place in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

So, Nikiforov recalled that by the decision of the Ukrainian Cabinet, three deputy defense ministers were dismissed at once - Alexander Mironyuk, Igor Starobinsky and Igor Khalimon.

According to the press secretary of the Ukrainian leader, appointments to the vacant posts will take place before the end of this week.

“The President wants a modern soldier, who risks his own life, to have decent conditions of service, to hold modern, reliable weapons and equipment in his hands.

It is in this area that more needs to be done, ”Nikiforov said.

He also noted that the war in Ukraine “is being waged not only in the field, but also in the information field,” and this direction, according to the president, needs to be strengthened.

In addition, Zelensky removed from his post the first deputy head of the special service, as well as the head of the Anti-Terrorist Center Ruslan Baranetsky and the first deputy head of the Security Service (SBU), head of the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime Vasily Malyuk.

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Commenting on personnel changes in the SBU, Sergei Nikiforov noted that the president and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine are now trying to bring the department to the form that it should have “on the day when the Verkhovna Rada will vote and support the relevant reform bill” of the service.

"They want to deprive the SBU of its unusual functions, namely the fight against economic crimes," he added.

Earlier, Zelensky also fired the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Valery Kondratyuk, and appointed Alexander Litvinenko, who served as director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, in his place.

The reasons for such rearrangements are not named in the documents on the president's website.

"Replaced by my supporters"


According to experts and sources interviewed by RT in political circles of Ukraine, the personnel changes in the Ministry of Defense of the country and the security sector, which Zelensky and his team carried out, are primarily motivated by the desire of the Ukrainian president to make these departments as loyal to themselves as possible.

In particular, as noted by a RT source in the Ukrainian armed forces, it is important for Zelensky that his subordinates are command players, and Ruslan Khomchak, dismissed from the post of head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was not suitable for this role, since he criticized the president.

“Khomchak enjoys great authority in the armed forces, he has extensive combat experience.

His dismissal had a negative impact on the morale of the soldiers, and the new leader does not yet inspire confidence.

The main reason for the resignation is a conflict with Defense Minister Andrei Taran, who is supported by Zelensky, "said the interlocutor of RT.

According to Nikita Danyuk, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the RUDN University, a member of the Public Chamber of Russia, the President of Ukraine was not satisfied that Khomchak had a tremendous influence on the armed forces of Ukraine, and some of the president's orders were not executed or were sabotaged.

“It is likely that Khomchak, who did not show any gestures of disrespect in the public space, actually condoned the fact that the president was simply not perceived at the middle management level in the Ministry of Defense.

Zelensky, by dismissing Khomchak and other changes, is trying to show that the Ukrainian state is built strictly vertically, that he is the president who influences what is happening in the country.

In addition, it is very important for him to demonstrate to the power bloc, which did not accept him and even rejected him, that he will not tolerate such an attitude, "the expert explained in an interview with RT.

According to Danyuk, the Ukrainian leader will set the task of restoring discipline in the armed forces to Khomchak's successor, including "through cleansing" of those who ignored the president's orders.

In addition, thanks to personnel changes, in the future Zelensky will be able to argue that any reforms that will bring a positive effect are entirely his merit, Danyuk noted.

“In this sense, the Ukrainian leader does not want to share his laurels with people who are not directly associated with his team.

Therefore, Zelensky led his people to important posts in the Ministry of Defense and other structures, having received approval from Washington, "the analyst explained.

At the same time, the transfer of Khomchak to the place of the first deputy secretary of the NSDC is an attempt by Zelensky "to leave him in the orbit of his influence," Danyuk believes.

“Being in this position, Khomchak will no longer be able to directly influence the political processes in the country, but will be in plain sight,” the expert noted.

In turn, the Ukrainian political scientist, director of the Institute for Policy Analysis and Management Ruslan Bortnik, in an interview with RT, suggested that Zelensky "wants to achieve a concentration of power with the help of the reshuffle in the Ministry of Defense and the security sector."

“People who represented the interests of other political or financial groups or were associated with them are leaving the system of law enforcement agencies.

Zelensky was not completely sure of their loyalty, so he replaced these persons with his supporters.

In addition, in this way the Ukrainian leader wants to show his Western partners that he controls the situation in the country, ”the expert said.

According to a RT source in the Batkivshchyna party, Zelensky seeks to increase his influence on the law enforcement agencies, believing that he is already experienced enough for this.

“But the dismissal of Khomchak will not solve the problems of the Ukrainian military, and the new leader still needs to find a common language with his subordinates,” he said.

At the same time, a RT source in the Servant of the People party drew attention to the fact that the Ukrainian army does not have normal equipment and there are problems with the quality of food and discipline.

“These are the issues that need to be settled, not internal squabbles,” he said.

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As Nikita Danyuk predicted, after personnel reshuffles in the Ministry of Defense and the security sector, high-profile resignations will continue, and corruption cases may also be initiated.

“In addition, all this will be accompanied by a noisy information and PR campaign, since Zelensky is well aware that now he needs to enter the election race. After all, his level of support among the population is as low as ever. There will be even more statements that the Ukrainian army and structures responsible for security are on the path of modernization. However, in fact, the level of morale and fighting spirit leaves much to be desired, not to mention the technical component of the Ukrainian army, ”the analyst concluded.