Medium Ukraine (Politics)

[Mick Harper]

Starmer chose an unfortunate moment to carry out his last overseas duty, a visit to Kyiv to trumpet something or other we'd done for them. Unfortunate because it was the day Zelensky sacked his Defence Minister, a young and popular geek who has superintended the fabulously successful switch to virtually all-drone warfare.

This had to be done, according to Zelensky addressing the people, because the Minister and the Chief of General Staff couldn't get on. (Apparently they refuse to be in the same room together!) One or other of them had to go.

There were demonstrations in the street because everyone knew the reason why it was the general, not the minister, who got the presidential nod. One of them knew where all the corruption bodies were buried and was knee-deep in it himself, one of them had clean hands.

PS The new minister of defence is the old head of the security services, so that's all right then.

[Wile E. Coyote]

This is in part an argument about the war that should be fought.

Ukraine is making progress by its use of drones. (geek warfare).

However if Russia launched a combined massed attack, then the cautious gnarled old general, who favours less fancy stuff, and more artillery shells, and grunts, as his first priority might be proved right?

After all drones might by killing 80% of the casualties but that is because the infiltration is taking place one or two a time. Why are the Ivans coming one or two, because the artillery stops them coming over behind tank columns.....

Drones are great at stopping small scale infiltration. and trucks......but there are limits....

[Mick Harper]

I would not wish to argue the technicalities, only the reasoning for Zelensky's decision.

He only appointed the Defence Minister six months ago--possibly for technical reasons, possibly to head off popular restiveness, possibly because of increasing opposition in the Ukraine parliament--but it was a surprise choice at the time, and one in which Zelensky had put a fair degree of his own authority on the line.

The general, on the other hand, is something of a Soviet-era warhorse. A hero of the 'Defence of Kyiv' in the early days, to be sure, but not otherwise well-thought of in military circles (as I understand it). Though I suppose it may be 'a military thing' in the sense that the Ukrainian high command are not onside with 'the new ways' and Zelensky fears some kind of coup.

But this seems unlikely, given his national and international standing. No, I think corruption is at the heart of it. Zelensky is on thin ice with pretty much all his closest associates -- up to and including his wife -- more or less bang-to-rights. Maybe the whole thing was to manoeuvre the Security Bod into (or out of) office.