Combat Payments and the Role of Rearline Personnel: Why Support for Non-Frontline Soldiers is Crucial

Recent discussions have highlighted the issue of combat payments and the recognition of the critical role played by rearline personnel in Ukraine’s ongoing conflict. While frontline soldiers are often the focus of public attention, the contributions of those working behind the scenes—such as fuel truck drivers, repair crews, and air defense operators—are equally vital to the success of military operations.

The transcript reveals a passionate argument against the division of combat payments, which often prioritize frontline troops while neglecting those in supporting roles. “People on the frontlines depend on what happens in the rear,” one speaker emphasizes. For instance, fuel truck drivers work around the clock, often delivering supplies directly to the frontlines. Their work is dangerous and demanding, yet they are frequently overlooked when it comes to combat bonuses.

Repair crews are another example. These teams work tirelessly to restore damaged equipment, ensuring that vehicles like BMPs (infantry fighting vehicles) can return to the battlefield. “Do you think a damaged BMP is just abandoned? No way. You have to recover it, evacuate it, and repair it so it can be operational again,” the speaker explains. This work is essential for maintaining the combat readiness of any brigade, yet the personnel responsible are often undercompensated.

Air defense operators, who spend countless hours on duty monitoring the skies, also face challenges. Despite their constant vigilance and the risks they face, their work is not always classified as “combat,” which affects their eligibility for additional payments. “They sit on duty for hours, seeing nothing, but their work is crucial. Why aren’t they recognized as combat personnel?” the speaker questions.

The issue extends to instructors and trainers who bring valuable frontline experience to training academies and proving grounds. These individuals often leave their positions to return to combat roles because the financial incentives for staying in training roles are insufficient. “A combat major comes to an academy or proving ground. He has experience, he’s needed there, but then he looks at his paycheck and says, ‘I’d rather go back to the front,'” the speaker notes. This creates a gap in expertise that could otherwise strengthen training programs.

The financial struggles of rearline personnel are further compounded by personal expenses. Many soldiers use their own vehicles for work, covering fuel and repair costs out of pocket. “Every month, you’re spending at least 25,000 hryvnias on repairs—tires, discs, wiring, batteries—because the vehicle is constantly in use,” the speaker explains. These expenses, combined with modest salaries, make it difficult for rearline personnel to support their families adequately.

The speaker concludes by calling for a more equitable distribution of combat payments, recognizing that the success of frontline operations depends heavily on the efforts of those in supporting roles. “I disagree with this division. The rear is just as important as the front,” they assert. This sentiment underscores the need for systemic changes to ensure that all military personnel, regardless of their role, are fairly compensated for their contributions to Ukraine’s defense.

As the conflict continues, the importance of unity and mutual support within the armed forces becomes increasingly clear. Recognizing and rewarding the efforts of rearline personnel is not just a matter of fairness—it is essential for maintaining morale and ensuring the effectiveness of Ukraine’s military operations.

Transcription of the video translated into English:

1
00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:03,080
Hryvnias of combat payments were issued

2
00:00:03,080 –> 00:00:05,680
for rearline actions, and today they

3
00:00:05,680 –> 00:00:09,260
discovered and announced it.

4
00:00:09,460 –> 00:00:10,840
Well, yes, there will be more here.

5
00:00:11,680 –> 00:00:13,700
You understand? And here there are very big questions.

6
00:00:13,880 –> 00:00:16,060
When there was a division,

7
00:00:17,280 –> 00:00:19,580
that only those on the frontlines [get payments], I strongly disagree with that.

8
00:00:19,820 –> 00:00:22,960
I’ll explain why. People on the frontlines depend

9
00:00:22,960 –> 00:00:25,700
on what happens in the rear. Okay,

10
00:00:25,700 –> 00:00:28,700
they’re not fighting. Well, let’s take this example.

11
00:00:28,700 –> 00:00:31,600
Fuel truck drivers, who 24/7

12
00:00:31,600 –> 00:00:33,760
sit behind the wheel, drive, and sometimes

13
00:00:33,760 –> 00:00:35,640
reach the immediate frontlines.

14
00:00:35,840 –> 00:00:37,940
Their work is hard. Combat work.

15
00:00:38,580 –> 00:00:39,720
They are responsible for themselves.

16
00:00:40,680 –> 00:00:42,740
Repair crews, who work 24/7,

17
00:00:42,740 –> 00:00:44,700
and they also come under fire, even

18
00:00:44,700 –> 00:00:45,920
in the rear, from missiles.

19
00:00:47,260 –> 00:00:48,880
The combat readiness of

20
00:00:48,880 –> 00:00:50,640
any brigade depends on them. For example,

21
00:00:50,640 –> 00:00:52,440
damaged equipment—what do you think,

22
00:00:52,440 –> 00:00:54,500
if a BMP is hit, is it just abandoned

23
00:00:54,500 –> 00:00:56,720
and forgotten? No way, you have to

24
00:00:56,720 –> 00:00:58,940
recover it and give the guys a chance

25
00:00:58,940 –> 00:01:01,100
to evacuate that equipment,

26
00:01:01,160 –> 00:01:02,560
so that it can be restored

27
00:01:02,560 –> 00:01:04,340
and put back into service. And to make that happen,

28
00:01:04,680 –> 00:01:06,180
a lot of people work hard.

29
00:01:07,380 –> 00:01:08,980
Well, and everything is great,

30
00:01:09,020 –> 00:01:10,940
right? And that guy at the service station,

31
00:01:10,940 –> 00:01:13,200
who used to earn 60,000

32
00:01:13,200 –> 00:01:14,900
a month, I asked, he used to earn steadily,

33
00:01:14,940 –> 00:01:15,660
now he gets

34
00:01:15,660 –> 00:01:19,040
24-22 [thousand]. Is that a normal salary

35
00:01:19,040 –> 00:01:20,360
for him? Okay.

36
00:01:20,360 –> 00:01:22,920
And let’s take another example, what about air defense operators?

37
00:01:24,500 –> 00:01:27,200
Oh, you don’t know, for example, how long they sit

38
00:01:27,200 –> 00:01:29,000
on combat duty, seeing nothing?

39
00:01:29,000 –> 00:01:31,340
Why aren’t they classified as combat personnel?

40
00:01:31,340 –> 00:01:33,840
Even though they’re constantly on duty.

41
00:01:33,980 –> 00:01:36,500
And some deputies have approached us,

42
00:01:36,660 –> 00:01:38,380
Misha, who should get the bonuses?

43
00:01:38,460 –> 00:01:40,180
I’ll give you a simple example.

44
00:01:40,180 –> 00:01:42,260
Why were bonuses given to instructors?

45
00:01:42,900 –> 00:01:44,640
Because a combat major comes,

46
00:01:44,700 –> 00:01:47,220
for example, from a combat military unit,

47
00:01:47,220 –> 00:01:49,300
to an academy, to a training ground, things like that, right?

48
00:01:50,200 –> 00:01:51,320
He has a normal salary,

49
00:01:51,400 –> 00:01:53,120
he has experience. He’s desperately needed

50
00:01:53,120 –> 00:01:55,180
in that academy or at that training ground,

51
00:01:55,220 –> 00:01:57,000
because he’s a person with combat experience.

52
00:01:58,220 –> 00:01:59,240
And then he looks at what he’s

53
00:01:59,240 –> 00:02:00,940
not doing. He says, “Well, I’ll

54
00:02:00,940 –> 00:02:02,920
go back to being a battery deputy and go back

55
00:02:02,920 –> 00:02:05,060
to fighting there.” You know what that means?

56
00:02:05,060 –> 00:02:06,460
So that my family doesn’t starve.

57
00:02:07,160 –> 00:02:08,340
And that’s what happened.

58
00:02:08,940 –> 00:02:10,900
That’s why I’m quite unhappy

59
00:02:10,900 –> 00:02:12,740
with this division. Okay, let’s talk about me. Look,

60
00:02:12,740 –> 00:02:15,180
with bonuses,

61
00:02:15,320 –> 00:02:17,140
base pay, and combat pay,

62
00:02:17,140 –> 00:02:18,780
on average, I was making

63
00:02:18,780 –> 00:02:21,080
135-137 thousand [hryvnias] a month.

64
00:02:23,700 –> 00:02:24,680
Okay. Look,

65
00:02:24,780 –> 00:02:26,900
I sent my salary to my wife and

66
00:02:26,900 –> 00:02:29,140
son—35 thousand

67
00:02:29,140 –> 00:02:30,880
a month. I won’t say

68
00:02:30,880 –> 00:02:32,240
that’s a lot,

69
00:02:32,440 –> 00:02:34,800
living in Donetsk. It’s normal, adequate.

70
00:02:35,820 –> 00:02:36,380
Let’s go.

71
00:02:37,920 –> 00:02:38,960
We refuel at our own

72
00:02:38,960 –> 00:02:41,140
expense, mostly our own, we drive around.

73
00:02:41,140 –> 00:02:43,040
Everyone chips in

74
00:02:43,040 –> 00:02:44,780
at least 25 thousand to the unit.

75
00:02:46,240 –> 00:02:47,120
Every month

76
00:02:47,120 –> 00:02:49,080
you have car repairs. A tire blows out,

77
00:02:49,080 –> 00:02:51,560
a rim gets damaged,

78
00:02:51,640 –> 00:02:53,280
wiring gets twisted,

79
00:02:53,440 –> 00:02:55,220
because you need a battery,

80
00:02:55,300 –> 00:02:57,000
because the car is constantly running.

81
00:02:57,700 –> 00:02:59,040
That’s also at least 25 thousand.

82
00:02:59,040 –> 00:02:59,740
You pay.

Transcription of the video in Ukrainian:

1
00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:03,080
гривень бойових виплат було виплачено

2
00:00:03,080 –> 00:00:05,680
за тилові дії, от вони сьогодні це

3
00:00:05,680 –> 00:00:09,260
виявили і оголосили.

4
00:00:09,460 –> 00:00:10,840
Ну так, тут ще будуть.

5
00:00:11,680 –> 00:00:13,700
Розумієш? А тут дуже великі питання.

6
00:00:13,880 –> 00:00:16,060
От коли був поділ,

7
00:00:17,280 –> 00:00:19,580
що тільки на передовій, я з цим дуже не згодний.

8
00:00:19,820 –> 00:00:22,960
Я поясню, чому. Люди на передовій залежать

9
00:00:22,960 –> 00:00:25,700
від того, що робиться в тилу. Окей,

10
00:00:25,700 –> 00:00:28,700
не воюють. Ну, давай так візьмемо.

11
00:00:28,700 –> 00:00:31,600
Воділи бензовозів, які 24 на 7

12
00:00:31,600 –> 00:00:33,760
за баранкою сидять, крутять і доїжджають

13
00:00:33,760 –> 00:00:35,640
до безпосередньої іноді передової.

14
00:00:35,840 –> 00:00:37,940
У них важка робота. Бойова.

15
00:00:38,580 –> 00:00:39,720
Вони відповідають за себе.

16
00:00:40,680 –> 00:00:42,740
Ремонтні бригади, які 24 на 7

17
00:00:42,740 –> 00:00:44,700
крутять і по ним теж прилітає навіть

18
00:00:44,700 –> 00:00:45,920
по тилам, по ракетам.

19
00:00:47,260 –> 00:00:48,880
А від них залежить боєздатність

20
00:00:48,880 –> 00:00:50,640
будь-якої бригади. Як в ту ж

21
00:00:50,640 –> 00:00:52,440
техніку підбиту, ви що думаєте,

22
00:00:52,440 –> 00:00:54,500
на, от підбили БМП, її кинули

23
00:00:54,500 –> 00:00:56,720
і забули про неї? Ніхрена, ти маєш

24
00:00:56,720 –> 00:00:58,940
її відбити і дати змогу цим хлопцям

25
00:00:58,940 –> 00:01:01,100
відвезти, евакуювати цю техніку,

26
00:01:01,160 –> 00:01:02,560
щоб вона знову через деякий час

27
00:01:02,560 –> 00:01:04,340
стала встрій. А щоб вона стала,

28
00:01:04,680 –> 00:01:06,180
там трудиться купа людей.

29
00:01:07,380 –> 00:01:08,980
Ну, і все чудово,

30
00:01:09,020 –> 00:01:10,940
так? І той хлопчина на СТО

31
00:01:10,940 –> 00:01:13,200
заробляв, який 60 тисяч

32
00:01:13,200 –> 00:01:14,900
місяців, я питав, він стабільно заробляє,

33
00:01:14,940 –> 00:01:15,660
він зараз отримує

34
00:01:15,660 –> 00:01:19,040
24-22. Нормальна зарплата

35
00:01:19,040 –> 00:01:20,360
для нього? Окей.

36
00:01:20,360 –> 00:01:22,920
А давайте візьмемо один, що? А ПВОшники?

37
00:01:24,500 –> 00:01:27,200
О, ви ж не знаєте, наприклад, скільки вони сидять

38
00:01:27,200 –> 00:01:29,000
там на бойових чергуваннях, що вони нікого

39
00:01:29,000 –> 00:01:31,340
нічого не бачать? Чому їм не нараховуються

40
00:01:31,340 –> 00:01:33,840
як бойова? Хоча вона чатують постійно.

41
00:01:33,980 –> 00:01:36,500
І це деякі депутати звертались до нас,

42
00:01:36,660 –> 00:01:38,380
Міша, а кому треба надбавки дати?

43
00:01:38,460 –> 00:01:40,180
Я вам даю елементарний прикол.

44
00:01:40,180 –> 00:01:42,260
Чого інструкторам дали рада надбавки?

45
00:01:42,900 –> 00:01:44,640
Того, що приходить бойовий майор,

46
00:01:44,700 –> 00:01:47,220
для прикладу, з військової бойової частини,

47
00:01:47,220 –> 00:01:49,300
в академію, на полігон, тому подібне, так?

48
00:01:50,200 –> 00:01:51,320
В нього нормальна зарплата,

49
00:01:51,400 –> 00:01:53,120
в нього є досвід. Він капець як

50
00:01:53,120 –> 00:01:55,180
треба в цій академії чи на цьому полігону,

51
00:01:55,220 –> 00:01:57,000
тому що це людина з бойовим досвідом.

52
00:01:58,220 –> 00:01:59,240
А потім він дивиться, що він

53
00:01:59,240 –> 00:02:00,940
ніхай не робляє. Він каже, да ну я

54
00:02:00,940 –> 00:02:02,920
піду замком бата і піду далі

55
00:02:02,920 –> 00:02:05,060
воювати там. Знаєшо мені це очі?

56
00:02:05,060 –> 00:02:06,460
Щоб в мене сім’я голодувала.

57
00:02:07,160 –> 00:02:08,340
І так і траплялося.

58
00:02:08,940 –> 00:02:10,900
Тому я з цим поділом доволі

59
00:02:10,900 –> 00:02:12,740
незгаданий. Ну окей, давай про мене. Дивися.

60
00:02:12,740 –> 00:02:15,180
за сисочними надбавками,

61
00:02:15,320 –> 00:02:17,140
ставкою, роботою і з бойовими

62
00:02:17,140 –> 00:02:18,780
в середньому в місяць в мене виходило

63
00:02:18,780 –> 00:02:21,080
135-137 тисяч.

64
00:02:23,700 –> 00:02:24,680
Окей. Дивіться,

65
00:02:24,780 –> 00:02:26,900
зарплату я відсилав своїй дружині і

66
00:02:26,900 –> 00:02:29,140
сину 35 тисяч

67
00:02:29,140 –> 00:02:30,880
в місяць. Я не скажу,

68
00:02:30,880 –> 00:02:32,240
що це можна по-багатому,

69
00:02:32,440 –> 00:02:34,800
каже Донецький там жить. Все нормально, адекватно.

70
00:02:35,820 –> 00:02:36,380
Поїхали.

71
00:02:37,920 –> 00:02:38,960
Заправляємся за свій

72
00:02:38,960 –> 00:02:41,140
кошт, більшості своя, ганяєм візді.

73
00:02:41,140 –> 00:02:43,040
Каждий скидує

74
00:02:43,040 –> 00:02:44,780
мінімум по 25 тисяч в когору.

75
00:02:46,240 –> 00:02:47,120
Каждий місяць

76
00:02:47,120 –> 00:02:49,080
в тебе ремонт машина. Оскільки пробилась

77
00:02:49,080 –> 00:02:51,560
шина, бахнули диск,

78
00:02:51,640 –> 00:02:53,280
навихнулася проводка,

79
00:02:53,440 –> 00:02:55,220
тому що тебе треба акумулятор,

80
00:02:55,300 –> 00:02:57,000
тому що машина постійно працює.

81
00:02:57,700 –> 00:02:59,040
Тоже мінімум 25 тисяч.

82
00:02:59,040 –> 00:02:59,740
Ти даєш.

When did the event happen: 2023/10/31