Hungary sacked the nation’s high military chief with out rationalization, in accordance with a presidential decree printed on Thursday.
Several hundred senior officers and navy intelligence officers have reportedly been fired this yr as a legislation adopted by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s authorities in January allowed the protection minister to sack anybody over the age of 45.
While the federal government says it desires to rejuvenate the armed forces, opposition events referred to as the personnel cull “purges” geared toward changing Western-oriented pro-NATO officers.
“With effect from April 27, I have dismissed Lieutenant General Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, the commander of the Hungarian Defense Forces, from his position,” mentioned a decree signed by President Katalin Novak in Hungary’s official gazette.
No additional particulars have been offered.
Ruszin-Szendi was Hungary’s youngest-ever commander when appointed on the age of 46 by Novak’s predecessor as president, Janos Ader, in 2019.
According to a Defense Ministry assertion Thursday, his proposed substitute is Gabor Borondi, 52, presently Hungary’s navy consultant to NATO and the EU.
Ruszin-Szendi “will continue to serve his country in another field,” mentioned the assertion.
The transfer follows upheaval in senior military ranks this yr with the federal government, which has beefed up protection spending, saying it desires to create “a performance-dependent competitive situation” within the military.
The Atlatszo investigative website on Thursday printed a video purportedly displaying helicopters certain for neighboring Ukraine filmed at Hungary’s Gyor-Per airport in February.
Earlier this month, U.S. news outlet Politico mentioned leaked unverified U.S. navy intelligence paperwork indicated Hungary could also be secretly letting allies use its airspace to maneuver arms to Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry has denied the report, repeatedly stating that helicopters supposed for Ukraine weren’t allowed to move by means of Hungarian airspace.
Under Orban, who has maintained shut financial ties to Russia for the reason that invasion, Hungary has refused to ship navy support to Ukraine and even let navy gear transit its territory.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
