Ukrainian Air Force specialists returned to their unit after infantry reassignment
Due to a shortage of personnel at the front, some Ukrainian Air Force specialists who were reassigned to the infantry have been returned to the Air Force, Yurii Ihnat, head of the communications department of the Air Force Command, said in an interview with Radio Liberty on Feb. 28.
The return of servicemen began after the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, banned the transfer of specialists in high-demand fields, particularly from aviation.
“If any of these specialists had ended up in the infantry, they were returned to the Air Force after an assessment by the Air Force commander,” Ihnat explained. “This happened before the ban was announced.”
A commission was set up to gather data, along with call centers where people could apply by phone or in writing. These appeals were recorded, and personnel were sent back to the Air Force.
Ihnat did not disclose the number of servicemen involved, citing classified information. He also acknowledged that the transfer of Air Force personnel to the infantry was "not very pleasant news" for the Air Force.
On January 14, Ukrainska Pravda reported that, in 2024 and early 2025, Air Force specialists were being transferred in large numbers to the Ground Forces to bolster combat brigades.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces responded that the transfer of Air Force engineering and aviation service specialists to infantry units "was not planned and is not planned."
However, certain categories of Air Force personnel are being reassigned to the Ground and Airborne Assault Forces after receiving preliminary training in response to personnel shortages at the front.
Acting Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Anatoliy Kryvonozhko confirmed that engineering and aviation specialists would not be reassigned to other branches of the military, nor would other critical Air Force specialties.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed the issue with the Air Force commander and instructed him to publicly clarify the situation, ensuring that the number of specialists needed for combat missions would not be reduced.
On Jan. 16, the Air Force established a special commission to investigate the transfer of Air Force personnel to other branches of the military.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
