Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1519846
Armed Forces of Ukraine, with even de- eper transformation ahead. We can refer to this Army as bygone history.That Army has become a symbol of changes in the mentality of Ukrainian society, with the growing role of civic society, and pro-de- fense social movements. Above all, it also symbolizes the changes in the newly sha- ped Ukrainian national identity. And that identity is being shaped by a major role played by the Armed Forces. The reforms in the Armed Forces of Ukraine have also been a part of a broader reform campa- ign that had an impact on the Ukrainian state as a whole, during that period. The reforms influenced the economy and the state institutions. Similarly, as in the case of the above process, the reforms in the Armed Forces have only been a par- tial success. The Armed Forces of Ukra- ine have been, and still are an integral element of the state. Any problems the state may be facing also, undoubtedly, influence the military. The Armed Forces cannot be separated from the state and the society. The conflict of generations, between the one brought up in the USSR, and the one maturing in an independent state is visible both in the Armed Forces and in society. The remainder of Soviet mental mindmaps is etched in the Armed Forces, to a degree identical to the one associated with any other state organ. The article above mentions the self-purge of the officer corps between 2014 and 2015. And this is true. However, it needs to be admitted that the above pertains primarily to identity. Those disloyal and in- different to the fate of the state have left - this is true. But it does not mean that those who stayed are completely free of the corruption disease. As it turned out, one can be a brave, competent soldier, and also sell fuel illegally, or steal inven- tory and spares from warehouses. Total corruption present in the Ukrainian Army is a thing of the past. Before 2014 it was extremely humiliating for the soldiers and officers. The corruption was so severe, that without a bribe one could not have even arranged a transfer to another unit, paid vacation, or a rank promotion. Ho- wever, this does not mean that the cor- ruption is completely gone. The farther away from the frontline, the less impact the anti-corruption reforms had on the Ukrainian military. The Ukrainian MOD, and the defense industry, the foundation of the Armed Forces, have only undergo- ne a partial reform. Corruption scandals within those organizations are bound to happen in the future, for a long time. As it turned out, the first thing that the sta- te needs to do after reforming its Armed Forces is to start the reform all over aga- in. The reforms are never fully effective, and they shall be viewed as a process of continuous, sustainable „leveling up". The period between 2015 and 2022 has just been one of the levels. Important one, but also the first one of a long process. The Armed Forces still have a long path to- wards perfection ahead of them. ANALYSIS