Ukraine denies transferring Air Force personnel to infantry amid troop shortages
The Ukrainian Air Force will transfer military personnel "en masse" to reinforce the Ground Forces' combat brigades in early 2025, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Jan. 14, citing an undisclosed Air Force source.
Facing an infantry shortage along the front lines, Ukraine has been forced to make difficult adjustments as Russia ramps up its offensive in Donetsk Oblast.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi issued an order on Jan. 11 to transfer over 5,000 Air Force personnel to Ground Forces units. A senior Air Force officer, speaking anonymously, said transfers began in spring 2024 and have now reached a "critical level," with unit staffing dropping to 50%.
"If we carry out the order of the 11th, which was sent to us by the commander-in-chief, the manning of units will drop to 40%" the officer told Ukrainska Pravda. They added that even transferring "unimportant personnel" weakens unit effectiveness, particularly for anti-aircraft missile systems, which rely on cohesive teams.
Over 200 personnel are reportedly set to be taken from seven Air Force brigades, including units defending Kyiv, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing an undisclosed source.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
In a Jan. 14 statement, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces denied transferring Air Force engineering and aviation personnel to infantry units, emphasizing that technical and flight personnel numbers are increasing.
However, some Air Force and other branch personnel, after training, are being reassigned to strengthen ground brigades due to a critical infantry shortage. The General Staff noted this as a necessary measure to bolster frontline defense but confirmed that specialists in high-tech roles or those trained abroad on foreign equipment are exempt from transfers.
Kateryna Denisova
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