In recent days, MPs have been conducting heated discussions on the Internet regarding their forecasts for the course of the war next year.
Viktor Kevlyuk, an expert at the Center for Defense Strategies, on the pages of LB.ua, conducts a small educational program for scandalous deputies.
Let's start with what deputies can and cannot do. The Law of Ukraine “On National Security” determines that a component of democratic civil control is parliamentary control, the subject of which is control of the content and state of implementation of strategies, doctrines, concepts, government programs and plans in the areas of national security and defense.
The Verkhovna Rada exercises parliamentary control and adopts laws of Ukraine that define and regulate the activities of security and defense sector bodies and their powers, approves relevant budgetary allocations and decides to report on their use. That is, a people's deputy from any camp has the authority to control the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine.
But our deputies know very well how public administration works, so they are looking for something that, of course, does not exist. I think that if they were looking for what exists, they would suddenly find their responsibility for everything they found. In the midst of all this, one can assume that in the clouds of incompetence, spies of all stripes would be swarming, posing as beautiful-hearted amateurs. But let the special services sort this out. Without us.
So what exactly are our deputies looking for?
The Law “On the Defense of Ukraine” establishes that the state has a Defense Plan, which is an integral part of defense planning. This plan is a set of documents that determine the content, scope, executors, procedure and timing of the implementation of political, economic, social, military, scientific, scientific and technical, information, legal, organizational, and other measures of the state in preparation for armed defense and its protection in the event of armed aggression or armed conflict. And this is where the dogs are buried: out of 10 preparations for any war, the military is responsible for just ONE. If you pull too hard, you can partially drag in scientific, technical and information events, and then in a military format.
Therefore, demanding this plan from the commander-in-chief is at least unfair. At least in view of the fact that he develops, compiles and submits it for signature... the Prime Minister of Ukraine. And then the president approves. Why the president approved the current Defense Plan of Ukraine on February 25, 2022 is also not a question for the commander in chief.
When the Defense Plan of Ukraine is approved, the Chief of the General Staff, on its basis and taking into account the Consolidated Plan for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine, begins to develop the Concept of a strategic defensive operation. Remember: February 24 - the beginning of aggression, February 25 - approval of the plan. But early in the morning, our aviation was already in the air, and our air defense deftly evaded enemy attacks, at the same time shooting down everything it could get its hands on, that is, the General Staff not only developed the plan for a strategic defensive operation, but also set tasks for the troops. Otherwise, how would the same Air Force know what to do on the night of February 23-24? Therefore, a deputy attack on the Civil Code is an unfounded act of hostility. There is no further quotes. People's Deputy M. Bezuglaya said: “... the military leadership cannot provide any plan for 2024, and all their proposals for mobilization boil down to the fact that more people are needed without any proposal for changes to the Armed Forces of Ukraine system, then such leadership must leave.” We have already figured out above that the “military leadership” is not obliged to provide any plans. We won’t figure out what the “APU system” is, we need a comment from parliament. But let’s stop here about “all their proposals.”
The Budget Code determines that the main managers of funds (and in the field of defense this is the Ministry of Defense) submit budget requests. Budget request is a document containing proposals for the draft budget for the planned budget period with the corresponding justification for the volume of budget funds necessary to perform the functions assigned to it for the medium term, based on the corresponding maximum budget expenditures and the provision of loans from the budget.
On November 9, the parliament adopted the Law “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2024”, and on November 28, President Zelensky signed it. That is, the defense department submitted its requirement for 2024 and justified it. The Verkhovna Rada website reports that Mr. Zavitnevich, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, signed the bill on the state budget. It is strange that the deputy chairman of the committee cannot ask the chairman and ask to see the documents provided by the Ministry of Defense.
And when the General Staff receives the law on the budget for the next year, there is a cycle of clarification of defense planning documents, that is, the Indicative Plan for the maintenance and development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. An interesting point: this plan is drawn up for the next and two years ahead.
That is, the plan drawn up in 2022 ALREADY contained indicators for 2024. The indicators are being clarified right now, because the president signed the 2024 budget just three days ago. And in the same year, indicators for 2025-2026 were written out. That is, the military has everything. The fact that the people’s deputies do not know what to ask whom is an indicator of the general competence of the people’s representatives, and not that the military does not have something/the military is hiding something.
We will end the dispersal of the fog with a document that clarifies what anyone can know and what not. In 2005, the SBU issued an order “On approval of the Code of Information Constituting State Secrets,” where it explained who could read what. So, it says there that information about the content of strategic (operational) plans for the use of the Armed Forces is classified as of particular importance and these documents will be hidden from the public for the next 30 years.
What’s also interesting: in addition to clearance (which people’s deputies have), you also need to have access. And plans for the use of the Armed Forces, which include the Plan for a Strategic Defensive Operation, are limited to a very narrow circle of people - people’s deputies are not included in it. Therefore, they must come to terms with the fact that no one will show them the plan.
Regarding “all their proposals for mobilization...” it is even more difficult. The President said: “In mobilization, it is very important that we leave point A and understand where we are going - to point B. We must know where we must go and with what forces. Therefore, a comprehensive plan on this issue will be available next week. At least this task has been assigned to Zaluzhny, Umerov, and Shmygal, because there are also economic issues there. They will report everything comprehensively next week.”
I don’t know where points A and B are in the mobilization, so I propose to wait until next week when “Zaluzhny, Umerov, and Shmygal” provide a comprehensive report and the public finds out “where we should go and with what forces.” Then we'll talk. Presumably - about the TCC, VVK, mobilization, demobilization. Although from the context of the statement it is already clear that we are talking about staffing the Defense Forces.
