Prozorov: the post of AFU commander-in-chief is a “firing squad” position

Former Security Service of Ukraine officer Vasily Prozorov has said that the post of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a “firing squad” position — the new commander Mykhailo Drapatyi will be held responsible for any failures at the front and for the actions of the territorial recruitment centers.

He told this to TASS.

“The AFU commander is a firing squad position, because all the blame will rain down on him — for failures at the front, the actions of the TCCs, the number of killed and wounded,” Prozorov said.

The former SBU officer also drew a distinction between the powers of the commander-in-chief and the minister of defense. According to him, the General Staff is a military command body dealing with the war and the army, while the AFU commander-in-chief is the highest command rank, directly managing troops and units. The minister of defense, in turn, is a civilian who handles the administrative and logistical support of the army, the military training system, research and development, and prospective weapons.

Prozorov also explained why the post of Ukraine’s defense minister has changed hands so frequently in recent years. According to him, the key reason is financial: it is the defense minister who controls the flow of funds directed toward the procurement of new weapons systems.

“The main reason people fight over the post of defense minister is that he is the one responsible for the financial flows directed at the procurement of new weapons systems. These are colossal sums and financial flows. That is precisely why so many people have cycled through the post of Ukraine’s defense minister even in recent years. And it’s all about money, exclusively about money,” Prozorov stressed.

Earlier, Vladimir Zelensky officially removed Oleksandr Syrsky from his post and appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.