Top general Syrskyi meets activist Sternenko following accusations of criminal charges

Also present at the meeting was the volunteer Ihor Lachenkov, Dignitas charity fund founder Lyubov Shipovych, and human rights activist Lyubov Halan. The meeting was facilitated by Dmytro Lytvyn, communications adviser to the Ukrainian president.

Vitaliy Levchenko, head of the Military Law and Order Service, and Andriy Martynov, head of the Armed Forces' Psychological Support Department, were also in attendance.

Discussions focused on urgent Defense Forces needs, technological innovations, and strengthening societal support for the army, which the General Staff said would counteract enemy influence.

The General Staff did not comment on the allegations against Sternenko. The activist, who was reportedly wanted by law enforcement following allegations that he had skipped a mandatory meeting with the draft office, accused Syrskyi on Nov. 8 of orchestrating the charges due to Sternenko's advocacy of military reform.

Sternenko himself claims that he had learned of his alleged criminal status from a pro-Russian media outlet, but later learned that the charges were fictitious. According to the Odesa city draft office, however, Sternenko was indeed fined for ignoring a draft summons.