General Drapatyi publicly supports Minister Fedorov
Commander of the Joint Forces Task Force, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, said that the transformation of the Defence Forces cannot end with a change of minister, team or head of a particular area.
He said this on Facebook, Censor.NET reports.
Details
"The army needs change, but without justice, no change will be meaningful to the people who shoulder the burden of this war every day.
With the arrival of a new team at the Ministry of Defence, there was a genuine attempt to change the rules under which the military system had operated for years. This was not about new names or yet another restructuring on paper, but about problems whose consequences soldiers and commanders experience every day," he stressed.
Drapatyi noted that over the past six months, the military had gained a partner in the Ministry of Defence that not only met its needs but also demanded changes in approaches, faster decision-making and support for those prepared to take responsibility for those decisions.
"Cooperation between the military and the Ministry of Defence has changed. There is now a willingness to listen to commanders, make decisions more quickly and support changes originating within units. This is exactly how this cooperation should work.
The Drone Line project became one example of how a timely government decision can affect the situation on the battlefield fairly quickly. It was followed by other initiatives that have already proved useful to the military.
Today, the minister said that many of these decisions had to be pushed through despite the system rather than because of it," the commander continued.
According to Drapatyi, many commanders can confirm that the right decision often has to be pushed through despite the system rather than because of it.
"This means that the system itself needs to change. A commander has no right to remain silent about problems, particularly when their cost is measured in lost opportunities, time and human lives. Silence does not protect the army; it merely allows mistakes to accumulate until correcting them becomes far more difficult.
A commander’s silence has never been a form of responsibility. When we demand honest reports from our subordinates, we are equally obliged to speak honestly about what we see. This is necessary not to find someone to blame, but to ensure that problems cease to be a routine part of military service," he explained.
Changes are needed
"The army needs new rules under which the right decision does not depend on the personal courage of an individual commander or the support of a particular team within the ministry. If changes help a soldier carry out a combat mission, they must be continued, protected and made part of the military’s daily operations.
The transformation of the Defence Forces cannot end with a change of minister, team or head of a particular area. It must continue until fair and transparent rules become the norm for everyone who serves the state.
We are fighting for a country in which justice does not depend on one’s surname, position or proximity to the leadership. The army defending this country today must be the first place where this principle truly works. I thank everyone who is defending these principles today," he concluded.
