Aide to Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Aleksandr Kolomiyets, has joined the forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
“I am Kolomiyets Alexander Vyacheslavovich, Major General of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. My last position was an Assistant Minister of Defence of Ukraine and chief military analyst. I served 19 years as a regional military commissar* of the Donetsk region. I’ll work to benefit theDonetsk People’s Republic. I had to take my family out of Kiev, as we feared persecution by the authorities. Many of my former colleagues, with whom I keep in touch, are now ready to rally to the People’s Republic. Many of Ukrainian Army officers want to come back here, but they’re afraid, because the authorities won’t let them come here. Right now, people are only talking about it, but in the near future, I think that they’ll be back,” – Kolomiets told a news conference at the Donetsk News Agency.
Also, former aide to Ukraine’s Defense Minister shared his opinion of the Ukrainian army’s condition:
“The potential of the Ukrainian army is very low. Mostly, from the standpoint of morale. All generals and officers who are aware the authorities’ actions are criminal have no wish to fight the war,” he said.
Since the moment Kiev launched the military crackdown in the southeast of the country hundreds of soldiers and officers had joined the forces of the people’s republics.