Oleksandr Pohrebitskyi speaks of army demotion and counterintelligence surveillance following criticism of the authorities

Demotion in the army after public activity

Oleksandr Pohrebitskyi, a Kyiv City Council deputy from the European Solidarity party, disclosed that last winter he was transferred from the position of deputy chief of staff to the position of platoon commander in an airborne assault battalion. According to the politician, this decision was made immediately after he published videos expressing criticism of the authorities.

Pohrebitskyi noted that this demotion occurred after several years of service, during which he held the positions of platoon, company, and battalion commander. The deputy is convinced that the aim of this move was to humiliate him.

Surveillance by counterintelligence

In his Facebook post, the deputy stated that the Military Counterintelligence Service allegedly established constant surveillance on him due to his opposition political activity. After his transfer to the airborne assault battalion, he said, counterintelligence received instructions to monitor every step he took within the military structure.

«Доходило до абсурду, коли я брав відпустку, щоб здати сесію в академії, де я здобуваю другу вищу освіту, ВКР після мого повернення на службу з серйозним виглядом ставили запитання моєму комбату: "А що, він у вас сесію здавав у відпустку?"» (It reached the point of absurdity when I took leave to pass a session at the academy where I am obtaining a second higher education; after my return to service, the Military Counterintelligence Service, with a serious look, asked my battalion commander: "So, was he passing a session during his leave?"), wrote Oleksandr Pohrebitskyi.

The deputy added that the battalion commander was surprised by the absurdity of such a question. Pohrebitskyi emphasised that such surveillance by counterintelligence has continued throughout his entire service precisely because he is a politician and a deputy from an opposition party. He also noted that his fellow deputies, who are currently fighting, are in a similar situation.

Comment on service conditions and the rear

«Які можуть бути в тебе почуття на п’ятому році життя далеко від дому, з втраченим здоров’ям та життям в бліндажах з мишами, коли ти бачиш весь цей треш у тилу?» (What could your feelings be in the fifth year of living far from home, with lost health and life in dugouts with mice, when you see all this trash in the rear?), the deputy added.

Oleksandr Pohrebitskyi also remarked that, in his opinion, counterintelligence representatives, by asking such questions, are on the verge of making accusations. He speculated that the special service employees themselves may be connected to the leadership, which is suspected of covering up drug trafficking and call centres that deceive citizens.

Oleksandr Pohrebitskyi is far from the first Kyiv City Council deputy fighting in the Ukrainian Armed Forces who simultaneously claims pressure from military leadership or special services. Similar complaints from local opposition politicians who are also military personnel have been heard before, concerning both service conditions and the safety of parliamentary activity in the rear.