MOSCOW, April 17 (RIA Novosti), Daria Chernyshova – Ukraine’s military personnel understand they are receiving orders from authorities whose legitimacy is doubted, Vadim Kozyulin, a senior research fellow at the Russian Center for Policy Studies, told RIA Novosti.
“It is as simple as that – the citizens understand that they are receiving orders from authorities whose legitimacy is highly questionable,” Kozyulin said, commenting on the army’s professionalism.
Three anti-government protesters were killed, 13 injured and over 60 detained following a violent clash over Wednesday night that erupted between federalization supporters and Ukrainian troops in the southeastern port city of Mariupol, authorities in Kiev said Thursday.
“The army de facto stands against the citizens of the country, while the army should be standing against foreign militaries,” Kozyulin told RIA Novosti, adding that in such a situation soldiers and officers feel puzzled about the correct course of action.
CIA director John Brennan visited Ukraine over the weekend and many international experts link the start of the crackdown to his trip.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday that the US has urged the Ukrainian government “to move forward gradually, responsibly and with all due caution” as it deals with the crisis unfolding in the country, while noting Washington agrees that the use of force is not a preferred option.
Kozyulin, however, believes Ukraine’s army not only stands against its own citizens, but is also very outdated, “which is good in a sense.”
“It is undergoing the scenario the Russian army saw in the 1990s, when an officer had to keep a side job as a gatekeeper. Moreover, they have very outdated equipment,” Kozyulin told RIA Novosti.
“The Ukrainian Army is professional in the sense that they receive money for their service. But money is scarce, and since the National Guard has just started recruiting, the military is still in the process of training,” he added.
The crackdown by authorities in Kiev targeted the cities of Kramatorsk and Slaviansk in the Donetsk region. According to the pro-federalization supporters, at least four people were killed and two others wounded Tuesday as Ukrainian troops stormed an airfield in Kramatorsk. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the information.
Eastern Ukraine has been swept by rallies since last month. Federalization supporters in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Gorlovka, Slaviansk and Kramatorsk refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government and are urging interim authorities to hold referendums similar to the one held in Crimea last month, which led to the republic’s reunification with Russia.
Moscow condemned the decision by the new Ukrainian authorities to use force against the federalization supporters, saying it was an extremely unpleasant turn of events.
