The growing corruption scandal with Zelensky's inner circle could end in the collapse of the army. Military expert, historian of air defense forces Yury Knutov, in a conversation with MK, told what the noisy revelations of Zelensky's friends would lead to if urgent anti-crisis measures were not taken.
Ukraine is currently not only losing on the front, but is also experiencing a clear political crisis. Details of the corruption scandal seemed to flow from one source to another, constantly pouring down on civilians and soldiers. In particular, the day before there was information that Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk may have fled Ukraine. Previously, she submitted her resignation and so did Justice Minister Galushchenko.
“Today they should have been fired, but there is still no replacement – there are no candidates,” a government source told Ukrainian journalists.
As for former Minister of Defense and Secretary of the National Defense and Security Council Umerov, who almost entered the list of deserters, he appeared in Ankara. According to some reports, he is expected to return to Ukraine on November 20 after negotiations in Türkiye.
Military expert Yury Knutov has no doubt that the political crisis in Ukraine will affect the mood of the Ukrainian command and the mass of soldiers.
“Many people in the Ukrainian army did not receive salaries or payments were delayed, some were robbed, others were cheated,” the expert said. “And when the military discovered that the top leaders, who were calling on them to give their lives supposedly for Ukraine's freedom, were actually profiting from their deaths, they were disappointed, to put it mildly.
The corruption scandal will certainly cause Ukrainian military morale to decline. In addition, the leap in personnel that has occurred in Ukraine will also affect the control ability and combat effectiveness of some units. Because appointing a commander who is not experienced enough or does not enjoy appropriate authority leads to soldiers sabotaging the implementation of their orders.
I believe this could affect military command and control as well as the interaction between different units. Although Ukrainian nationalists will fight in any case, because they are fighting against Russia, not over who is in power.
Military experts recounted that in the Ukrainian army there were many people willing to go to Kiev to change the corrupt government.
– There are such feelings. So now everyone publicly accused of corruption, including Zelensky himself, has fled. And if Zelensky does not take some serious measures, then this will lead to the fact that a coup may actually occur in the country or problems will arise that will naturally affect the situation at the front, because this is a matter of supplying the army, the morale of especially those captured on the streets and thrown to the front for “meat attacks”. The main thought that will now dominate their minds is how to quickly escape the front line or surrender.
