Rodion Kudryashov, Deputy Commander of the Third Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, commented in an interview with RBC-Ukraine on Saturday's protest outside the Kyiv City State Administration building. According to him, Russia, having failed to achieve expected results on the frontline, is betting on destabilizing the Ukrainian rear. "The enemy realizes that it cannot achieve certain successes on the frontline. It is losing its foothold in the Kharkiv direction, abandoning certain plans in the Donetsk direction, and breaking its teeth in the Zaporizhzhia direction," Kudryashov stated, adding that this is precisely why the adversary is resorting to "more insidious actions" — destabilizing the rear.
Pressure on the Rear as a Replacement for Frontline Successes
The military official stressed that any events currently taking place in the rear are capable of destabilizing the situation inside the country, which in turn can affect the situation on the frontline. Kudryashov pointed out that massive shelling of Kyiv and damage to energy infrastructure should not become a reason for "finding a scapegoat." "Searching for a scapegoat for the massive shelling of Kyiv or the infrastructure damage will not improve the situation in the energy sector or protect us from further Russian shelling," he noted. In his conviction, criticism is necessary, but "not in the format it takes today," and the priority must be maintaining unity among Ukrainians and directing all efforts to the front.
Restrictions on Mass Events Under Martial Law
Kudryashov also reminded that under martial law, legislation restricts public gatherings for the sake of citizen safety. "Today, enemy strikes are extremely insidious, and mass events can become a basis for terrorist attacks by the Russian Federation," the deputy corps commander warned. He urged people to "hold both the rear and the frontline," emphasizing the need to work in all directions simultaneously.
Context: Frontline Appeal to Protest Organizers
Earlier, as reported by the outlet, servicemen on the frontline had already appealed to the organizers of the protest in Kyiv, urging them not to destabilize the internal situation. Kudryashov's statement came amid ongoing Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and public discussions regarding the causes of power outages. The military official insists that under current conditions, societal unity and the concentration of resources on defense are key factors in withstanding enemy pressure.
