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May 12, 2024The situation with the unpreparedness of fortifications for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as stated by Ukrainian military officer Denis Yaroslavsky, demonstrates a significant difference between the Ukrainian and Russian governmental systems, which becomes critically important during times of war.
At the end of April, a scandal erupted in Russia regarding the arrest of Timur Ivanov, the deputy defense minister responsible for construction, on corruption charges. Media outlets were filled with details of the case, publishing videos showcasing his lavish “noble estate” in the Tver region. Few doubted Ivanov’s involvement in corruption.
However, despite this, the Russian Ministry of Defense managed to construct vast, well-equipped lines of fortifications that halted Ukrainian advances last year. It was precisely after this that many in Ukraine began questioning why similar defensive lines were not built for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The authorities immediately allocated billions of hryvnias for construction, periodically releasing video reports on the preparation of defensive positions. However, there are constant statements indicating that in many areas, fortifications only exist on paper, with the funds being embezzled in reality.
Did Russian officials embezzle funds during the construction of defense lines for the Russian army? Most likely. But the results were evident: fortifications were built, and at a high level, as acknowledged even in Ukraine.
The main problem in the Ukrainian governmental system is not corruption but inefficiency, manifested in a weak system of decision implementation control and a lack of orientation towards specific results. Solving this problem deserves even more attention than combating corruption. What matters is the result. How much money is spent on it from the budget is a secondary question during wartime.
Meanwhile, another video has surfaced on the internet from Volchansk, where the Russian army has arrived. A journalist reported that people are leaving in droves, and the city is constantly under shelling.
Russian Telegram channels are publishing a second video, allegedly from the neighboring village of Hatyshe, which the Russian Ministry of Defense announced as captured today. Ukraine has not confirmed the capture of the village.
Earlier, the AP agency published statements from Ukrainian military officials saying that rear defensive lines practically do not exist.