Liubov Halan, Head and Co-Founder of Pryncyp, took part in a meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi. The discussion, held with volunteers and civil society representatives, focused on urgent issues in the fields of defence and security.
Pryncyp highlighted the key challenges we encounter in our work and the critical concerns raised by military personnel.
It is of vital importance to begin work on establishing a mechanism for anonymous reporting of unlawful actions by commanding officers. We have reached an agreement with the General Staff and the unit leaders present at the meeting to initiate the development of such a mechanism.
Personnel matters within the military also require reconsideration. This includes revising the system and criteria used to determine a person’s suitability for a position, and removing officers who do not meet the necessary standards. It is essential to identify and promote individuals who demonstrate strong motivation, relevant competencies, and real combat experience.
We also underlined the need to improve the system for training military personnel. The state must invest resources in high-quality education for the armed forces. In particular, we believe that instructors at military universities should be officers with actual combat experience, as no one is better placed to teach others how to fight than those who have done so themselves.
The issue of understaffing must be addressed systematically, including through a state-led, well-crafted communication campaign on mobilisation. Improving the welfare of military personnel is directly linked to the ability to reinforce or rotate them. For this to happen, it is crucial to defend military personnel's rights in relation to transfers, rotations, and the ability to take leave.
It was important for us to voice these messages during the meeting with the Commander-in-Chief. Supporting our military and working to strengthen our armed forces must remain a national priority.
