The Ukrainian Air Force has launched an investigation to prevent the transfer of MiG-29 technicians and mechanics to infantry units that are demanding new troops after nearly three years of war. This measure aims to safeguard specialized personnel, who are crucial for maintaining operational capabilities. The development follows a major controversy in Ukraine after a unit revealed that its maintenance staff was being sent to the front as regular infantry, a claim that officials have repeatedly denied.

Regarding the newly established investigation commission, Colonel Yuriy Ignat stated on his social media: “The commission is working to prevent the transfer of military personnel with critical specialties, which could significantly impact the combat capabilities of Air Force units (…) An Air Force commission is currently investigating whether violations have occurred. If such cases are found, corrective actions will be taken.”

One illustrative example of the issue can be found in the recent message from Sergeant Vitaliy “Bart” Gorzhevskyi of the 114th Carpathian Air Force Brigade, published in recent days. In his statement, he claims that hundreds of technicians and mechanics have been transferred to the front lines. According to him, the initial orders affected around 250 men from his unit, followed by another 218 personnel later, leaving very few available to continue their tasks.

His statements were also supported by combat pilots, such as Vadym “Karaya” Voroshylov, who emphasized: “Are we ready to simply give them up? No, because these are specialists with a very specific focus who studied at higher military educational institutions for 5 years and gained professional experience in aircraft maintenance within combat brigades and under combat conditions (…) It will create problems in the maintenance and servicing of aircraft, which will result in a decline in the combat capabilities of aviation brigades. Aviation is a vast ecosystem, whose survival directly depends on the performance of each element, which cannot be replaced.”

Delving into details, Colonel Ignat mentioned that the investigation aims to track not only MiG-29 specialists who may have been transferred but also those responsible for maintaining air defense systems, radio operators, and electronic warfare specialists, among others. Special attention will be given to personnel trained by Ukraine’s Western allies, considering their limited numbers and critical importance in sustaining the country’s air force capabilities.

However, it is worth noting that this trend had already been observed several months earlier, with numerous reports indicating Air Force units being reassigned to reinforce front-line infantry—a fact acknowledged in the official statement but only recently gaining broader attention. The issue has become so significant that President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed it in one of his recent nightly speeches, urging the Air Force not to surrender its specialists despite increasing battlefield casualties. The matter is crucial, given the pressure to lower the country’s recruitment age to reinforce its ranks.

For now, in response to multiple allegations, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has firmly denied that such transfers of specialized personnel have occurred. In contrast, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksander Syrskyi, had previously prohibited these transfers. Far from acknowledging a reduction in technical staff, the General Staff claimed that their numbers had actually increased in recent months and that Air Force personnel transferred to infantry were not mechanics but newly trained soldiers prior to deployment.

Images used for illustrative purposes only.

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