Zelenskyy doesn’t consider arrest of generals as undermining trust between authorities and military
Pravda Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not believe that the detention and arrest of two generals and a colonel on charges of negligence, which allegedly led to the occupation of part of Kharkiv Oblast in May 2024, has eroded trust between the Ukrainian authorities and military leadership.
Source: Zelenskyy at a press conference on 23 February
Quote: “It does not undermine (the trust between authorities and the military). The issue wasn’t just about territories. When battles for Ukrainian territory take place, many people lose their lives. When we talk about ‘negligence’… Is it just the issue about kilometres? That is significant, but people were dying at every kilometre. It is a serious matter that law enforcement must investigate.”
Details: Zelenskyy stated that he respects senior officers but stressed that “soldiers are dying, and leadership must take responsibility”.
Quote: “I do not know what the conclusions will be, and the investigation must continue. But simply saying ‘we are at war’ and turning a blind eye to everything – I think that would be wrong. That is why I said, let the investigators do their job.”
More details: The president also shared that during the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s meeting, where the case was discussed, he asked whether these individuals had been in the trenches on the front line.
Quote: “The answer was no. So what are the complaints against the soldiers on the ground? On the other hand, I am concerned that many of them died there. Should this be investigated? I believe it should,”
Background: On 20 January, officials from the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), detained two former generals and a colonel on suspicion of negligence that enabled Russian forces to seize part of the territory of Kharkiv Oblast in May 2024. The detained military in question are Brigadier General Yurii Halushkin, Lieutenant General Artur Horbenko and Colonel Illia Lapin.
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