What is wrong with the defense organization in Ukraine, and who will pay for it?
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| Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky |
President Volodymyr Zelensky introduced a new public holiday, Territorial Defense Day, by proclamation in the summer of 2020. Ukranians have been having fun for the past two years. Without tero-defense, however (TerO).
Three major events symbolically solidified the president's will: the passage of the presidential statute on national resistance by the parliament in July 2021, its rapid modifications on January 27, 2022, and yesterday's sessions of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities / NSDC in Kharkiv. Chaos and recklessness reign between them.
And the issue is not only the dampness of the adopted law on national resistance, the demonstrable failure of the terms of its implementation by the Cabinet of Ministers, and nearly two weeks of Zelensky ignoring the important changes made to it (the president did not sign the law, even though he met yesterday with the National Security and Defense Council), but also its essence.
On the one hand, the authorities impose a strict centralized control over the TerO system. The purpose is to prevent secession while also forcibly boosting political opponents (as seen by the attacks on Klitschko that continued yesterday). On the other hand, it shifts the burden of paying TerO's demands on local self-government. The critical problem was not discussed at any of yesterday's significant sessions. And the mayors were not permitted to speak on the subject. To put it mildly, this is strange.
And it is considerably more perilous against the backdrop of a rise in the general stress of the border situation. Because it offers grounds to believe that the central authority will not actually protect itself. Other studies byUkranian media ZN are looking into why this is happening and whether it has anything to do with the possible implementation of the "Minsk world," of which Ukraine is actively persuaded.
Simultaneously, the TerO situation deserves special attention, particularly as an example of another failure of the state administration system in a critical direction for a fighting country. Regardless of how lovely the image of the anxious president and his entourage is presented to us by Bankova's technicians.
Three levels of secret quest in Ukraine
TerO brigades were already constituted as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Ground Forces at the time when world president Volodymyr Zelensky earnestly addressed territorial defense concerns. They were reserve soldiers. However, there was nothing to rejoice about in this respect. The structure was mostly for show and was funded on a residual basis.
Furthermore (and this is significant for our text), careful MPs revised Article 91 of the Budget Code in 2018, adding "activities and work on territorial defense and mobilization preparedness of local relevance" to the list of those that might be funded by local budgets. The crucial point is that they can. Let's keep this in mind.
When the notion of establishing a full-fledged territorial defense arose, the disagreements revolved around different ways, in addition to the fact that the command of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) insisted on transferring the TerO to them. Or leave the system alone and issue a separate law; or create a system of resistance with an emphasis on volunteerism and local cells (draft defense bill No. 4504 of General Sergei Krivonos, who was later fired and now actively criticizes the adopted alternative law); or rigidly centralize the vertical, repeating the existing one but within the framework of a separate type of troops. Everyone was grouped together as a result of disagreements and the location of the long-shooting Bankova.
What is the TerO system today?
The Special Operations Forces (SOF), which should build a true national resistance organization - the underground and partisans - are at the first level. There are no particular articles in the law that address this issue. In addition to indicating that the resistance movement (including TerO) is directed by the MTR's commander. The budget is kept under wraps. (However, it is known that a thousand of the 10,000 TerO personnel stated by the Ministry of Defense are MTR assets.)
At the second level, there is a separate branch of the military with its own command and, appropriately, its own budget line ( nine thousand of the ten above-mentioned reservist military personnel are recruited to form the operational-tactical core of 25 TerO brigades in the regions).
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| Special Operation Forces (SOF),Ukraine |
The third stage is voluntary territorial community formations. What is, in general, a distinct tale, on the surface of which there have only been ongoing confrontations between central and local authorities.
"In truth, these three components of national resistance do not fit together very well organizationally," a source in the relevant parliamentary committee said, "which does not make us stronger." However, the deputies agreed that it was preferable than nothing. The legislation is really basic, and few people comprehend what is going on in this context, particularly in the digital domain. Local authorities claim one thing, the military says another, and those who fought in volunteer battalions and were removed from brackets allege a third.
According to the Minister of Defensive, the defense system would be deployed in three stages. According to the peacetime state, the first is now ongoing. This is the establishment of Terodefense Forces brigades and battalions from military troops of Ukraine's Armed Forces. The second stage, according to the special period's personnel, is the development of a reserve of civilians with the signing of contracts (the current staff of nine thousand can be deployed up to 130 thousand reservists). "And only at the third - and last - step may voluntary formations of territorial communities be formed," the minister said. The crucial point is that they can. Let us keep it in mind as well.
In addition, barely 27 days after the bill went into effect, Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov joined the communication realm with his own explanatory column.
Cabinet and local governments—in the midst of the "battle" against Covid
The following is mentioned in black and white in the Final Provisions of the Law on National Resistance: "The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, within six months of the date of entry into force of this Law, must guarantee the approval of regulatory legislative actions essential for the execution of this Law."
It is apparent that local governments have been waiting for by-laws from the administration since the summer. Not only do they want to form volunteer battalions and march to Kiev or split away from Ukraine. In fact, these dangers served as the foundation for TerO's rigorous centralization idea. From the military standpoint.
However, because there is another, civilian, local self-government, in addition to being responsible for the establishment of volunteer units of territorial communities, "participate in the preparation and implementation of national resistance tasks in peacetime and during a special period" (Article 14, paragraph 2). Furthermore, "... carry criminal, administrative, disciplinary, and financial responsibility for non-compliance or incorrect compliance with the provisions of this Law..." (Article 26)
And, as the head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev (repeatedly accused of political PR on the topic of the war), participates "... in the establishment of the headquarters of the zone (district) of territorial defense, the direction of its activities, and ensuring its operation; in the establishment of a territorial defense management system in the zone (area) of territorial defense, and the preparation of Ukrainian citizens for national service." [C v.13, p.1].
"Last week, the relevant government committee agreed on draft 14 acts of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine," Oleksiy Reznikov said on December 27 (!) "After the government's approval, which we expect in the near future, the necessary basis will be created for the practical implementation of the law on the foundations of national resistance as early as January 1, 2022." There will be no stops, and systematic work will be accelerated, with everyone doing their own thing."
The Cabinet of Ministers, under the close supervision of Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, enacted one resolution on December 29 (!) of the fourteen by-laws indicated by the minister. By which he authorized three provisions: on territorial community volunteer formations, the method for their construction and provision, and the procedure for their use of hunting weapons. And, as we recall, they are all related to the final stage of territorial defense deployment. Which, in general, no one will allow local governments to do.
And, following the Cabinet of Ministers' fire meeting, everyone went about their business - celebrating the New Year. As a result, prior to yesterday's public relations events in Kharkiv, the government, the OPU, and the National Security and Defense Council did not convene a single meeting with city mayors. Throughout this time, however, the Minister of Defense and other government representatives encouraged local authorities - particularly Kiev - to cease sprinting ahead of the locomotive.
Following the fire meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, everyone went about their business - celebrating the New Year. As a result, the administration, the OPU, and the National Security and Defense Council did not hold a single meeting with municipal mayors prior to yesterday's public relations activities in Kharkiv. Throughout this period, however, the Minister of Defense and other government representatives urged local governments, notably Kiev, to stop running ahead of the train.
And this is despite the fact that Russia has been assaulting us since the autumn, that loaded "birds" come in Boryspil every day from across the sea, and that schools do not cease "mining." I'm having déjà vu. With similar enthusiasm, the central authority "aided" the locals in their battle against the virus.
"From the beginning of January, mayors began to apply to the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Defense, and the OPU with a request to clarify their secret role in the law, which has already begun to operate, as well as their criminal liability," one ASU board member says. - There were no responses or "greetings." It is critical to remember that the initial revisions to the statute were only enacted on January 27. Prior to that, mayors were unintentionally allowed by legislators to coordinate the appointment of volunteer unit leaders. They've been warning us for a month that there's a threat. The law has been breached for more than twenty days. What if...
The Cabinet of Ministers' "quiet of the lambs" for virtually the entire month of January heightened tensions not just between the Center and local governments, but also within local governments themselves. The crisis involving Klitschko's claims of politicizing ASU is poised to erupt into the public eye. Klitschko's announcement of an extraordinary meeting of the ASU board of directors sparked a flurry of public and undercover emotions. There was a full boil in the Cabinet of Ministers, and they said, "Uh, guys, what are you doing there?!
And several mayors of important regional cities (Dnipro, Zhytomyr) did not attend the board meeting on January 28 at all since they first learned about it on the mayor of the capital's personal telegram channel and subsequently on the ASU website. Of course, this presents ethical concerns for Klitschko and his political strategists, but (!) it does not exclude accusations against the central government.
According to our sources, both Defense Minister Reznikov and TerO forces commander General Yuri Galushkin have been invited to the ASU board meeting. They did not appear for the meeting. However, it appears that the Defense Minister had touch with the ASU ahead to the meeting. Reznikov's "operational" explanatory piece in the media, issued two days before the mayors' meeting, almost duplicates the board's list of topics for discussion.
"It's crazy that the local government is in charge of planning territorial defense and that it also gets a cap for daring to convene before the Cabinet of Ministers," one of the mayors present at the board sneers. "We didn't discuss how horrible the central government is; instead, we discussed how to safeguard essential infrastructure in communities in the case of an assault." We require specific algorithms as well as conventional programs. We posed questions to Donetsk Mayor Alexander Lukyanchenko (recall that Lukyanchenko departed the city in July 2014 due to threats from "DPR" officials, but he is still the current mayor of Donetsk, whom no one has re-elected). (I.V.) He described how and what may happen based on his personal experience. What to do when communication is disrupted and infrastructural facilities are unavailable, and so on. What to do if a bomb detonates near a filtration station. Mariupol, which had escaped the "grads," was also in contact."
Kyiv and Odessa, the first cities in Ukraine to implement TerO financing projects (UAH 120 million was provided in the capital for 2022–2024), were named yesterday as the worst territorial defenders by Zaluzhny. "Who is the least prepared? The president stated firmly. - Kiev?! Mariupol? Odessa? Exactly? ... I expect you to complete everything in two weeks. But no room for improvisation. Act in accordance with the legal vertical. There is no politics or intrigue. Otherwise, personnel decisions will be made." Both Klitschko and Trukhanov eventually provided reports to the National Security and Defense Council. I'm not sure whether they were able to ask the crucial question of the president, but we can.
So who is responsible?
This is when everyone becomes perplexed as well as ministers, deputies, and generals.
"Returning to the necessities," adds Defense Minister Reznikov, "maybe in certain locations, local authorities or state or municipal heads will be able to support local budgets with garments; we will appreciate this with great thanks." However, I underline once more: it is the state's responsibility in this situation to obtain additional cash and acquire all you require.
"The state budget law for 2022 provides money for both territorial defense and resistance troops." As a result, to suggest that there isn't enough money currently isn't fully true, "retorts Fyodor Venislavsky, the head of the relevant parliamentary committee, in absentia.
"The Cabinet of Ministers delegated these responsibilities to local governments," says Yuri Galushkin, head of the TerO troops, dotting the "i." - At this point, certain local councils have established plans to secure the Territorial Defense Forces' operation from local funds. In Kiev, for example, 40 million hryvnias will be allotted. I believe that in the near future, our interactions with local governments will shift to a whole new level."
Presumably, we have previously indicated at the level of the 91st item of the Budget Code that local governments can pay the demands of territorial defense, as well as the legislation on national resistance with imprecise language on the role of local governments in supporting the TerO. Thus, local self-government groups "provide, within the scope of the relevant expenditures of local budgets, the correct funding of measures of national resistance of local relevance and the training of Ukrainian citizens for national struggle."
"At the conclusion of the law's passage, the mono-majority was in a rush, motivated by the necessity to enter into the following year's budget cycle," says a source in the relevant Verkhovna Rada committee. - According to the military, funding for TerO was included in the proposed budget until 2022. The circus, however, had begun. Just one example: with an open plan for principal purchases, the Ministry of Defense eliminates the requirement to acquire personal protective equipment.
"At the end of the law's passage, the mono-majority was in a hurry, prompted by the need to start the next year's budget cycle," a source in the relevant Verkhovna Rada committee explains. - TerO money was included in the planned budget through 2022, according to the military. The circus, on the other hand, had begun. For example, the Ministry of Defense eliminates the obligation to obtain personal protective equipment through an open plan for primary purchases.
While the Minister of Defense appeals to local authorities in the media for assistance, the defense personnel are just negotiating financing with the localities. What makes it merely a deal? What is it about? Who will be held accountable for the outcomes of such agreements? Including those relating to purchases ranging from protective jackets to bomb shelter filters? Is it possible to rely on the solvency of the local budget for defense? Or is it the case that a resident of a tiny Gorodnya is inevitably less protected than a resident of Kiev under the law?
The absence of answers to these concerns suggests that those in power now have no understanding how to administer the state. Local governments cannot, by definition, make decisions about the financing of territorial defense.
According to analyst Yuri Ganuschak, "one of the key foundations of the budget system is that money follows power." - The central government can assign authority to local governments. In this scenario, the legislation must explicitly define the state's needs while also financially securing this delegated authority. This method, however, does not apply to concerns of national security and defense. Remember that when a representative body is formed, discretionary (political) choices are made.
I can do this, I can do that, but I can't do anything - and I won't get compensated for it. I I have to answer to the people who voted for me. Today's municipal councils are made up of people with a variety of political ideologies. And we don't even have a law that would compel the local council to make a decision (buying body armor for TerO today is a right, not a CHI duty), much alone secure its validity and implementation. "Parliament has blocked draft bill No. 4298 on local state administrations," Ganuschak said.
Uncertainty is a fertile ground for corruption and exploitation. The local council is a collectively irresponsible organ. Only the security personnel have leverage in such a circumstance. If there are no budget constraints and the language is ambiguous, you may blame everyone and everything. You must fund, and if you do not, we will "stitch" the case. What if the mayor does not provide enough? Or did you spend it in the incorrect spot at the military's request?
General Zaluzhny ended his briefing at a Congress meeting with plans to provide the TerO with modern vehicles, drones, mortars, and anything else necessary. Without even mentioning TerO's financial problems or ineffective laws. "There are numerous questions," the commander of Ukraine's Armed Forces remarked vaguely. "However, I am certain that these will be resolved following today's meeting." But oh well...
Are volunteer soldiers obsolete in Ukraine?
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| Volunteer soldiers Ukraine army |
TerO's risk management, like its financial management, is chaotic. Obviously, the military's insistence on a tight military vertical of TerO was based on its own rationale. According to our competent interlocutors in parliament, it will take at least five to six years, not three, to truly install a system of territorial defense at this rate and quality of state administration. And most certainly not by the end of March, as Zaluzhny promised the president.
" The military started with the assumption that the TerO is a reserve that needs to be managed fast. "And they are correct in their own way," the insider adds. "Because it is nearly hard to control if each town establishes its own subdivisions." Which, in reality, volunteers confirmed in 2014. On the one hand, they provided a significant contribution to the country's defense, but the authorities had significant concerns about their quality and manageability. There are protections in the legislation in this area, and the administration is deliberately focusing public attention on them. In reality, the military decided to accept local recruits only to get the measure approved."
And, according to the deputy, they are doing all possible, in collaboration with the government, to prevent the formation of volunteer community units. As a result, local initiatives anger both the Ministry of Defense and Zelensky. In this circumstance, it is unclear where the army of previously fought and active passionaries would go. "If you wish to protect your nation, go to the defense reserve and fill out the paperwork in four copies with all of your personal information." "The narrative is far from partisans and true territorial defense," said one of the volunteer battalion's former combatants. Which exit is it? Nobody is aware. However, the government proposes.
"Taking into consideration the tranquil time, we have finished 70% of the TerO battalions in 13 border districts," Zaluzhny says. - At the same time, just 7.5 percent of reservists signed contracts for military duty in the reserve (out of the anticipated 130,000 that should be deployed in the case of an assault. - I.V.). These are regular teachers, physicians, and business owners. However, this is insufficient. We must excite people. Our goal is to have 70% of reservists available for the special period by the end of March. Furthermore, we are looking for 1.5-2 million motivated residents who wish to safeguard their houses."
I must mention that General Zaluzhny's ambition motivated President Zelensky so much that NSDC Secretary Alexei Danilov publicly revealed it at a briefing following the NSDC meeting. But there's a problem: if there are only 10,000 TerO combat cores, plus a potential 130,000 reservists for a particular period, where will the remainder come from?
"Volunteer units of territorial communities are quite beneficial," Zaluzhny emphasizes. - You can secure the bulk this way. However, only the leadership defines the necessity for and makeup of such formations. There was also a slide that was displayed to those in attendance. Residents in the neighborhood, 60+, big families, potentially with a disability, and a specific check for good behavior are among the prerequisites for signing up as volunteers. There is no remark. "However, it is too early to talk about the construction of such forces," the commander of the Armed Forces emphasizes once more.
"On Sunday, January 30, a meeting of an initiative group of residents of the Brovary region was convened," said Gennady Druzenko, creator of the Volunteer Mobile Hospital named after M. Pirogov. - The hall is completely packed. General Sergei Krivonos will preside over the meeting. Local government officials are present. The leader of the military unit of the Armed Forces' territorial defense forces (terodefense battalion of the Brovarsky district) was, however, barred from attending this conference by the brigade commander of the Kiev region's territorial defensive brigade. I was invited both formally and informally. I had no objections. But he received a direct ban from the commander.
Let me remind you that, according to the approved Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated December 29, 2021 No. 1449 Regulations on volunteer formations of territorial communities: a volunteer formation is formed by a meeting of an initiative group of territorial community residents in the presence of the commander of the military unit of the territorial defense forces of the Armed Forces and authorized representatives of the local government. The meeting is deemed legal if at least five individuals attend, as well as the commander of the military unit of the Armed Forces' territorial defense forces and members of the relevant territorial community's local self-government organization.
The auther Inna Vedernikova is a renowned Ukranian journalist.
