The Rivne military commissar, who accused the Ukrainian Armed Forces of mindlessly wasting lives in battles, was sent to the front – media

The head of the second department of the Dubno district enlistment office (TCC and SP) in Radiviliv, Rivne region—56-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Yurii Kovaliuk—was transferred to the front immediately after giving an interview sharply criticizing practices in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

This was reported by Zaxid.net.

In the interview, Kovaliuk said that there are “meat brigades” in the army whose commanders “thoughtlessly sacrifice people,” and he emphasized that he would not allow his 22-year-old son, a graduate of the Lviv University of Trade and Economics, to serve in the military.

The day after the interview was published, the Rivne Regional TCC and SP issued a response:

“Yurii Kovaliuk expressed personal opinions about mobilization activities, the moral fatigue of personnel, and alleged negligent attitudes toward human resources in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. These statements, made in the fourth year of a full-scale war, do not contribute to strengthening the state’s defense capabilities. His words may have been influenced by personal circumstances or fatigue from service,” the statement said.

Three days later, by order of the commander of the Western Operational Command, Kovaliuk was dismissed from his post as enlistment office head and appointed deputy commander of military unit A4728, part of the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Mariupol Brigade, and was sent to the front.

On April 19, Kovaliuk wrote on Facebook:

“If anyone wants to throw dirt at me, I’ll report this: I was demoted and am now near Kramatorsk.”

Kovaliuk has been fighting since 2014, participating in battles for Ilovaisk and Saur-Mohyla as part of the 8th Army Corps. He later commanded a reconnaissance company and a fire support company.

In 2017, he was convicted under three articles of the Criminal Code, accused of attempted rape and unlawful detention of police officers. He was sentenced to four years in prison, but due to a plea deal, he was released from serving the sentence.

Since February 25, 2022, Kovaliuk has led a Territorial Defense unit, fighting in Bakhmut and Kupiansk. He received the “For the Defense of Ukraine” award from the President and a church order from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

He was appointed head of the enlistment department in January.

Just recently, Ukraine’s General Staff announced that TCC personnel without combat experience and no health restrictions would be sent to the front.