Since 2024, combat brigades of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been replenished with soldiers transferred from Ukraine’s Air Force units. This has continued into 2025. The latest order from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on the transfer of personnel was received by the Air Force units on 11 January. A Ukrainska Pravda source noted that more than 5,000 soldiers were to be transferred to the Ground Forces.

Sources: Vitalii Horzhevskyi, an aircraft technician and staff sergeant of the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda and on Facebook; an experienced senior officer of one of the Air Force units

Details: Horzheskyi is subject to transfer to the Ground Forces according to an order given on 11 January 2025.

Why this is important: Mass transfers can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the Ukrainian Air Force. That is why the Air Force personnel are trying to draw attention to the situation.

Quote from Horzhevskyi: "I have served in the 114th Brigade since 2014, repairing military equipment and maintaining its combat capability, such as [Soviet-made] MiG-29 and MiG-29A aircraft provided by our partners, Slovakia and Poland. Since 2014, we were transferred to the Ground Forces voluntarily, and since 2022 – ‘voluntarily’ and en masse. The mass transfers started in 2024 and 2025. Last year, 250 people were taken from our unit. This year, we received an order for 200+ people.

I understand that we need to defend our country, but we also need aircraft. We can’t do anything without aircraft. It needs to be constantly maintained in combat readiness. Training an aviation specialist takes years of preparation and practice. And I was told that I had to go and storm some forest belts. You’re given an order, and you have to follow it."

Details: Vitalii Horzhevskyi had been transferred to an infantry unit – a rifle brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force. After suffering an injury on 19 January 2023, he returned to his 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade.

Quote from an Air Force senior officer: "We started taking people to the Ground Forces in the spring of 2024. But now it has reached a critical point – the staffing of our units has dropped to about 50%. If we comply with the order of 11 January, which we received from the commander-in-chief, the manning of our units will drop to 40%.

During the last transfer, we were told that they were sending off ‘unimportant specialists’. But you have to understand that an anti-aircraft missile system is a weapon that requires collective effort. Even if you send off a driver or a security guard, the effectiveness of the unit will drop.

For example, a mobile firing group needs five people to work effectively: a MANPADS operator, a machine gunner, a person sitting behind a flashlight/spotlight/thermal imager, a person on the communications team, and a driver. Nowadays, we consider a three-person group to be the bare minimum. If they send off more people now, then some three-person teams will have to be disbanded, too. Reducing the number of groups will mean missing air targets. If there is no group, there is no one to shoot. This is a problem for me, because I had people performing tasks. How would I do that now?

The problem is getting bigger and bigger, and it is not being resolved. For over a year, we have had no replenishment. People are just being taken away from us."

Details: Ukrainska Pravda noted that more than 200 servicemen are to be taken from each of the following Air Force brigades:

• 138th Air Surveillance Brigade;

• 96th Anti-Aircraft Missile brigade;

• 39th and 831st Tactical Aviation brigades which are defending Kyiv;

• 14th, 160th and 302nd Anti-Aircraft Missile brigades.

Ukrainska Pravda has seen Vitalii Horzhevskyi's military ID card, which confirms his current place of service and rank and that he has been serving in the Ukrainian defence forces since 2011 (in the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade since 2014). Ukrainska Pravda also looked at another document—a combat duty logbook—confirming that the second source, who wished to remain anonymous, serves in the Air Force.

Support UP or become our patron !