Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky reported that only 2,000 people have signed the new contracts since the Ministry of Defense introduced them. He also announced a search for a solution to ensure timely and full payments to service members.
"I won't go into person. I'll just state the facts, because they concern the motivation of a million people in the army. The new contracts were presented over a month ago. To date, approximately 2,000 service members out of a million-strong army have signed them. At the same time, I've received a large number of demotivated soldiers and officers who expected one set of conditions but received another," Sirsky wrote in a column posted on the Militarny website.
According to him, "the resolution on the 'experiment' raises serious legal questions."
"Compare: the pay increase in the Ministry of Internal Affairs was implemented through budget amendments and through the Verkhovna Rada. That's the difference between a decision and a presentation," the commander-in-chief wrote.
He also stated that "presentations should not degenerate into self-representations: each slide should be backed by a document, a budget, and a procedure."
"Otherwise, instead of a solution, the army will be disappointed," the commander-in-chief believes.
Syrsky also raised the issue of pay. He said that he and the government are currently seeking a solution to ensure that every service member "receives their pay in a timely manner and in full."
"The minister himself publicly stated that part of the military's salary funds was allocated for the purchase of drones. This raised the issue of funding payments for the second half of the year. Let me be clear: a soldier's salary is not a reserve for redistribution, but a state obligation to people who risk their lives every day. Together with the government, we are currently seeking a solution to ensure that every service member receives their salary on time and in full. There is simply no other option," the column reads.
As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine added, "decisions involving billions cannot be made without considering the consequences for millions of people."
