Military personnel who intercept enemy "Shaheds" and missiles are being widely reassigned to infantry roles, according to UP.

Military personnel who shoot down enemy "Shaheds" and missiles are being transferred en masse to the infantry, – UP

In 2024 and early 2025, military personnel from the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are being transferred en masse to the Ground Forces to replenish combat brigades. The latest order from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi regarding the transfer of personnel was issued to military units on January 11.

According to this order, more than 5,000 troops are to be transferred to the Ground Forces.

This was reported by UP, citing aviation technician, Sergeant Major of the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade, Vitaliy Horzhevskyi – he is subject to transfer to the Ground Forces under the order from January 11, 2025; and a senior experienced officer from one of the Air Forces units, who requested anonymity.

Mass transfers may significantly reduce the operational effectiveness of the Air Forces of Ukraine. Therefore, Air Forces personnel are asking for public attention to this situation.

Direct quote from aviation technician Vitaliy Horzhevskyi: "I have been serving in the 114th Brigade since 2014, restoring combat equipment and maintaining its combat readiness – (Soviet – UP) MiG-29 and MiG-29A aircraft provided by our partners, Slovakia and Poland. Since 2014, we could voluntarily transfer to the Ground Forces, but from 2022 it has been forced and widespread. The mass transfers began in 2024 and 2025. Last year, 250 people were taken from our unit. This year, an order has come for over 200.

I understand the need to defend our state, but aviation is also essential; without aviation, it's not right. It needs to be kept in constant combat readiness. Training an aviation specialist takes more than a year of preparation and practice. Yet, I have been told that I must go to storm landings. There is an order, and it must be followed."

Vitaliy Horzhevskyi has already been transferred to the infantry – to a mixed infantry brigade of the Air Forces of Ukraine. After being wounded on January 19, 2024, he returned to his 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade.

Direct quote from a senior officer of one of the Air Forces units: "We started losing personnel to the Ground Forces in the spring of 2024. Now, this has reached a critical level - the staffing of our units has dropped to about 50%. If we carry out the order from the 11th, which has been passed down from the Commander-in-Chief, the staffing level will fall to 40%.

During the last deployment, we were told that "unimportant specialists" were being taken. But understand: the surface-to-air missile system is collective weaponry. Even if we lose a driver or a guard, the efficiency of the unit will decrease.

For example, to effectively operate a mobile fire group, you need 5 people – a MANPADS operator, a machine gunner, a person managing the spotlight/searchlight/thermal imager, a communicator, and a driver. Currently, it is considered normal if a group has 3 people – that is already the minimum. If more are taken now, even these 3 will need to be disbanded. Reducing the number of groups will mean missing airborne targets. No group means no one to shoot. This is a problem for me because I had personnel who performed tasks. How do we do this now?

The problem keeps growing, yet it remains unresolved. For over a year, we have had no reinforcements. They are only taking people from us."

According to UP, more than 200 service members are expected to be taken from each of the following Air Force brigades:

• 138th Radio Technical Brigade;
• 96th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade;
• 39th and 831st Tactical Aviation Brigades, which protect Kyiv;
• 14th, 160th, and 302nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigades.

UP has reviewed the military service record of Vitaliy Horzhevskyi, confirming his current place of service and rank, as well as the fact that he has been serving in the Ukrainian army since 2011 (in the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade since 2014). They have also examined a document – a combat duty journal, confirming the affiliation of our second interlocutor with the Air Forces, who wished to remain anonymous.