Ukraine's Defence Ministry explains why Russia has put top Ukrainian commanders on wanted list

Russia has put Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and Commander of the Ground Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, on its wanted list because this is one of its methods of information warfare.

Source: Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defence, on Telegram

Details: Maliar said Russia also opened criminal proceedings against Ukrainian commanders and brigades in 2014-2015, accusing them of committing crimes during the conduct of hostilities.

This technique, according to Maliar, is designed to address two challenges:

• to neutralise Ukraine’s status as a victim of an international crime of aggression and formally equate Russia’s criminal actions with Ukraine’s defensive ones;

• to exert psychological pressure and demoralise Ukraine’s military.

Quote: "However, [this is] ‘mission impossible.’

Russia has created such a toxic reputation with this war, and has lost so much trust, that any accusations on their part against our military are perceived as an aggravating circumstance.

On the second point, everything is clear, no explanation needed.

Psychologically, it is hopeless to put pressure on commanders who are fighting with an enemy which is far superior in terms of the number of fighters and weapons."

Earlier: Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs put Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and Oleksandr Syrskyi,  Commander of the Ground Forces, on the wanted list.

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