D. Batlut rejects Kh. Nyambaatar's "private army" claim: "We can't even fully feed our own national army"

Defence Minister D. Batlut has rejected former Ulaanbaatar governor Kh. Nyambaatar's talk of a "private army".

In a live stream, Nyambaatar said a 23-storey building was going up in Khan-Uul district's 15th khoroo, east of Peace Bridge, and that it had been approved during his tenure as the office of the "Mongolian Military United Association". He claimed that President U. Khurelsukh and Minister Batlut lead two large military associations under the guise of NGOs, asked whether they were "building a private army to use against citizens who express their views", and said the associations have representatives in all 21 provinces and 330 soums. These are Nyambaatar's claims; the President's Office has not commented.

Batlut replied: "I have no information about a 23-storey tower. He just sits there spreading all kinds of false information. What private army? We can't even fully feed our own national army," Eguur.mn reported. "It is true that I sit on the board of an NGO that serves society. I don't hide it anywhere," he said, adding that the organisation works on national security and patriotic education.

The minister's remark about the army drew criticism on X. Some users called on Prime Minister N. Uchral to dismiss him, while others said the growing number of NGOs carrying military names needed to be brought under control.