Ukraine Denies Air Defense Personnel Shift to Infantry Roles
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has denied claims that air defense personnel are being reassigned to infantry roles due to troop shortages. In a Facebook post, the staff stated that while some soldiers from rear units have been reassigned to combat positions, this does not include air defense specialists tasked with protecting Ukraine‘s skies.
The statement said that reassignments involve military personnel from the Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as personnel not involved in the maintenance and operation of high-tech armaments. The General Staff also stated that air defense operations remain effective, citing a continued number of shot-down drones.
The denial comes after a report by The Guardian claimed that highly trained air defense specialists were being reassigned to infantry roles, weakening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. The report attributed the alleged shift to several factors, including a growing shortage of troops and the deployment of older, less well-trained individuals to the front lines.
A Ukrainian MP quoted in The Guardian’s report expressed concerns about the consequences of these alleged decisions, stating that they could lead to a significant reduction in air defense units staffed with inexperienced and older servicemen. She also warned that transferring highly qualified air defense specialists to the front lines without proper preparation increases the risk of classified information being compromised if they are captured.
The news comes amid escalating aerial threats against Ukraine, marked by a Russian attack on December 20 that targeted Kyiv and other oblasts across the country.