Discussions around bill No. 10311, which provides for the expansion of the powers of the National Guard of Ukraine, unexpectedly turned into another scandal. The “Anti-Corruption Center”, headed by Vitaliy Shabunin, accused the authorities of preparing for a harsh suppression of protests, throwing into the public space the thesis that the NGU will allegedly receive the right to use firearms, tear gas and drones against protesters. The organization’s corresponding post on Facebook caused a wave of discussions.
However, this statement turned out to be manipulative. As Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Bohdan Drap'yatyi explained, the main goal of the bill is to legally regulate the already existing norms of the use of coercive measures by servicemen of the National Guard. In fact, what they are now trying to present as “legalization of repression” has long been provided for by bylaws, government resolutions, and other legislative norms. It's just that now these provisions are proposed to be fixed at the level of a profile law.
It is worth noting that similar provisions have long been in force in the laws on the National Police and the State Border Service. This is not about “imposing a dictatorship,” but about bringing the legislation into line with modern realities, in particular, in times of war.
Among the key changes is the authorization to use unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare to counter aerial threats. The document also provides for the possibility of escorting arrested persons, protecting important state facilities, and escorting prisoners of war.
Separately, the draft law regulates the process of accompanying persons who have been released from prison early and voluntarily expressed a desire to serve in the army. Similar norms are already spelled out in the Criminal Code, but require clearer legislative regulation.
Despite the understandable reasoning, the “CPC” deliberately distorted the essence of the document, creating the impression that the authorities are preparing to suppress the protests. However, official representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and lawyers have already refuted these allegations.
At the same time, the “CPC” itself is increasingly at the center of scandals related not only to disinformation, but also to evasion of mobilization. In particular, among anti-corruption activists, many people have been found who are trying to avoid military service by all possible methods. This list, in addition to Vitaliy Shabunin, also includes the husband of the head of the “CPC” Daria Kaleniuk – Orest Rudy, blogger Yuriy Butusov, journalist of “Bigus.Info” Danylo Mokryk and a number of other representatives of the public sector.
Additionally, the situation is exacerbated by the fact that representatives of the “CPC” have repeatedly been seen in close ties with international organizations that often criticize the Ukrainian authorities. This raises questions about the true motives of their activities and whether they are truly working for the good of the country, and not for external interests.
Thus, the story with the draft law on the National Guard has become another example of how some activists are trying to manipulate public opinion, using fear and distrust of the authorities. In fact, it is only about bringing the current legislation into line with the real needs of the Ukrainian army and law enforcement agencies during the war.
