PRESIDENT DODON THREATENS TO PUNISH SENIOR OFFICERS FOR SENDING SERVICEMEN TO MILITARY EXERCISES ABROAD

President Igor Dodon has stated that for the Moldovan servicemen’s participation in military exercises outside Moldova he will punish the senior commanders who gave orders for going to such maneuvers.

Following his consultative meeting with national army unit commanders, he stated to journalists on Tuesday evening that he and the subdivision commanders discussed various questions, including the participation of Moldovan contingents in military exercises outside the republic. Asked if he has already degraded the military who went for exercises to Ukraine last month despite the president’s prohibitive decree, Igor Dodon stated that punishments shall be applied to commanders.

“Soldiers and junior officers were just fulfilling the orders of their superiors, so they are not subject to punishing. As for the senior commanders who issued orders to go, these shall receive what they really deserve”, said the president.

Dodon underlined that such a meeting with the command of army subdivisions was held for the first time over last 8-9 years.

“We heard the reports of subdivision commanders on the situations in their units. I offered an opinion that such meetings should be held regularly for reviewing the situation developing in the armed forces and for working out proposals for situation improvement”, said the Moldovan Commander-in-Chief.

Dodon ordered to stop whatever activities on passing military subdivisions’ assets (including land plots) to anybody, including to other ministries or organizations. He also demanded to stop any actions on the reorganization or redeployment of military subdivisions prior to official approval of a comprehensive plan of national army development.

The president also announced that in the nearest future he will put forward a legislative initiative on supplying the military, as well as the free-lance civilian employees in the Ministry of Defense, with a State-provided social package “because presently our military have been in an inferior social position compared with the citizens serving in other power structures”.

The president wrote afterwards on his Facebook page that as the country’s Commander-in-Chief he will be acting resolutely for the sake of maintaining peace and defending the country’s freedom and security, “and I shall not let the Republic of Moldova join any foreign military bloc”.

In his turn, Acting Defense Minister Gheorghe Gaberi stated to journalists that he is taking the entire responsibility for the Moldovan military’s participation in field exercises abroad.

“I signed the order and therefore I took the responsibility for that. The president said he would punish those who had issued orders. Apparently he meant me. But I did not violate anything. I was acting in compliance with the law and in the interests of our army that must develop by raising its professional skills and combat preparedness. I just fulfilled the Government’s Resolution to this regard”, explained Galbura.