“The terms “busification” or “cannibals” are part of the enemy IPSO”: Vitaliy Sarantsev on attacks on the CCC
Recently, cases of attacks on employees of territorial procurement centers (TCC), as well as explosions near their buildings, have become more frequent in Ukraine. The situation is becoming threatening, causing discussions both in society and among representatives of the security forces. Investigations are ongoing and suspects are being detained, but it is clear that the problem goes beyond isolated incidents and is part of a wider trend. Vitaliy Sarantsev, head of the communications department of the Ground Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine expressed his vision on this matter.
He noted that the latest attacks on TCC employees can be considered acts of violence against military personnel and even sabotage aimed at destabilizing the situation in the country. According to him, this process is also accompanied by a growing wave of disdain for the military and the degradation of public perception of defense institutions. At the same time, the final conclusions about these attacks must be made by the investigation.
Sarantsev emphasized that, in his personal opinion, these sabotages were provoked, planned and implemented by the Russian special services. Their goal is to create a split in society and disrupt the mobilization activities that are being held in Ukraine.
He stated that, although certain difficulties with mobilization exist, it is not worth talking about a serious crisis. Ukraine is not an exception in the matter of forced mobilization, and society has never perceived this process positively. However, mobilization continues, and thousands of citizens join the army every month, both through mobilization and recruitment. Russian propaganda tries to create the illusion of failure of the mobilization campaign, but the facts indicate otherwise.
He emphasized that the enemy is interested in disrupting the mobilization process, because, despite some tactical successes, the offensive potential of the Russian army is being depleted. Any strengthening of the Ukrainian Defense Forces poses a threat to the enemy, so he uses all possible methods – from information attacks to inciting the population to direct provocations.
However, there are problems that require immediate intervention. Vitaly Sarantsev said that work is currently underway to improve the provision of services by military personnel of the TCC and SP. An important direction is the establishment of communication between the military and society, as well as conducting explanatory work regarding the behavior of TCC representatives during the mobilization process.
He also noted that the Ground Forces Command initiated cooperation with the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine. The first meeting aimed at developing clear rules of interaction between lawyers and military personnel of the TCC has already taken place. According to him, there are cases of abuse both by lawyers and misunderstanding of their work by representatives of the TCC, which complicates the process of mobilization. Therefore, it is important to develop rules that are clear and binding for all parties.
Sarantsev noted that active work is currently underway to implement changes that will improve interaction between citizens and representatives of the TCC. A new stage of this work began on February 1, and it is planned to complete the development of relevant procedures by the end of the month. According to him, this process requires coordination both within the military environment and with the legal community in order to comply with current legislation.
Separately, he emphasized “informational attacks carried out by Russian propaganda”. According to him, such terms as “busification” or “people hunters” are part of the hostile IPSO aimed at discrediting the mobilization process in Ukraine.
“Words such as “busification”, “people hunters” are all elements of Russian IPSO. No matter how it sounds now, because “Russian IPSO” is already becoming a meme. However, it all very easily enters into our usage.
Although not so long ago there was a material where Russian propagandists themselves stated that they were the first to call us “people hunters”. And we joyfully and easily picked up all this and use it in our lexicon, only worsening our own condition. That is, such information attacks are carried out on the territory of our country against us. And we ourselves help the enemy to get himself into this loop.” – noted Sarantsev.
The military emphasized that, despite the short term in office, he already sees critical aspects used by the enemy and considers them important for further work. He also expressed the opinion that such crimes cannot go unpunished because they undermine the country’s security.
Sarantsev emphasized that the murder of an employee of the TCC is a shameful phenomenon and a shocking case for Ukrainian society. All the more outrageous are the reactions of some citizens who leave ironic comments or memes under the news about these events. Unfortunately, among such commentators there are not only Russian “bots”, but also real Ukrainian citizens.
Vitaly Sarantsev concluded that attacks on military personnel, in particular the killing of a representative of the TCC, who was performing his duties, are unacceptable. This is a crime not only against a specific person, but also against a state that is waging a war for its own survival. He called on society to take a responsible attitude and unite in the face of the threat, because any weakening of defense structures only plays into the enemy’s hands.
“Personally, I would like the degree of aggression in society towards TCC employees to decrease or disappear altogether. And for our part, we will try to take certain steps. But at the same time, I would like society to understand: that we still have a big war going on, a war for survival, and that we cannot win if we are divided.” – noted Sarantsev.
