Butusov: Naiev was appointed as commander of Velyka Novosilka Tactical Group on Zelenskyy’s direct order
Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev has been appointed as the commander of the Velyka Novosilka tactical group.
This was reported on Facebook by Censor.NET Editor-in-Chief Yurii Butusov.
"Today, Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev received a combat order to assume command of the Velyka Novosilka tactical group, sources told Censor.NET," the journalist reported.
According to Butusov, the leadership of the Armed Forces received a direct order from President Zelenskyy.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted sharply to General S. Naiev's sensational interview with Ukrainska Pravda, in which Naiev emphasized that the failure in Ukraine's preparations for Russia's 2022 invasion is the complete responsibility of the country's political leadership and personally of the president...
Zelenskyy appointed Naiev as commander of the Joint Forces in 2020, awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine in 2022, and removed him from the post of Joint Forces commander exactly a year ago, on February 11, 2024. Since then, Naiev has been at the disposal of the Minister of Defense, without holding any official post in the Armed Forces.
Immediately after the interview, in which Naiev spoke about the failure of preparations for the war and Zelenskyy's responsibility, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief promptly gave Naiev a new assignment. Clearly, he wanted him to leave Kyiv as soon as possible so that he could not give new interviews to other media outlets from the frontlines," said Censor.NET Editor-in-Chief.
Sources also reported that Naiev was issued a combat order, but cited the impossibility of its immediate execution, as the position of tactical group commander is a non-permanent one, a temporary command structure, and to be appointed to this position, one must first hold a permanent post within the Armed Forces.
Reportedly, Zelenskyy did not know about it, and everyone was in such a hurry to fulfill his hasty order that no one paid attention to the details. Now the Ministry of Defense and the President's office are considering what position to assign to Naiev to send him to a tactical group.
According to the status of tactical groups in the Armed Forces, they are commanded by colonels, and the appointment of a lieutenant general, a former Joint Forces commander, clearly appears to be an obvious demotion, so the objective of removing Naiev from Kyiv and sending him to the frontlines at any cost is not in doubt.
On the other hand, it's a cautionary tale — he gave an interview, and now he's already been given a position and authority, as long as he stays silent. It's a good example for all commanders — don't be afraid to speak out against your superiors; it can lead to interesting results," Butusov summarized.
