Heletei: "Butusov Deceives Society"

Censor.NET editor-in-chief Yurii Butusov commented on the words of Defense Minister Valerii Heletei that he "deceives society."

Censor.NET editor-in-chief Yurii Butusov writes on his Facebook page:

At a briefing Heletei said the following: "If starting from August 1st we felt the presence of Russia, then from August 20 fighting started near Luhansk, at the airport, Heorhiivka. Few have heard about them, because the soldiers who were fighting there did not use Facebook. Peoples seven months have been at the airport. A person spent 47 days in an encirclement at Kramatorsk - have you heard any panic? There was no panic, everything was done correctly, because they were professional military men. And it is at this stage when Russia realized that this war is lost - no more donors, those who had a desire to come to fight for Russia, no more Kadyrov men, Cossacks - they had experience in Afghanistan, Abkhazia, they were heroes only at first and then realized that this is not their war. Because dead bodies were also sent to Russia. And when some political experts and those who know everything, like Butusov, who tell people what they are writing truth about the war, not knowing that thereby they deceive society."

Yurii Butusov commented on this statement: "Hmmm... It appears that I "deceive society" by my articles. Funny, only the Minister talks about the deception, but in the ATO area no criticism from any participant of the Ilovaisk battle has never sounded - on the contrary, officers and soldiers have thanked me. Yet strangely, when I met with Valerii Viktorovych Heletei personally, for some reason, he told me something completely different. By the way, the Minister, said he would call me to discuss some specific questions of the reform of the army that we discussed at the meeting. But he decided to continue talking at a press conference.

It is cynicism that is especially unpleasant. I think his public statement is directly related to my testimony that I gave officially as a witness on Tuesday to the military prosecutor to investigate the tragedy in Ilovaisk. I said that the attempt to explain the main reason of the failure by the fact that the 51st mechanized brigade did not fulfill orders and the 5th battalion of the territorial defense left positions is an attempt to evade responsibility by the true perpetrators who allowed our troops to be surrounded and subsequently defeated. I said that if the perpetrators to be disband, it is necessary to begin in Kyiv and not in the brigade. The 51st was fighting neither better nor worse than other brigades.

On Thursday, I'll testify to the Parliamentary commission of Ilovaisk investigation.

And on Saturday I will publish a new investigation with new facts relating to the actions and reactions of the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense to the offensive of Russian troops. These facts are based on real documents that are in the prosecutors office and are part of the case, on testimonies of soldiers who directly participated in the war. I think they clearly show names and positions who those fault is the defeat at Ilovaisk."

Instead of an epilogue:

"I have never focused attention on some strategies of the struggle in the Donetsk and Luhansk. Either way, no one will make some hasty actions because of the holiday (the Independence Day - Ed.). Everything is done according to the plan, approved by the President, to the plan, which is being carried out."

Valerii Heletei, August 21, 2014