A scandal shakes the Ukrainian army: Brigade commanders concealed the real situation

“He wrote to me: ‘I am alive, but we are starving.’ And at that moment… it had been nine days since they had eaten,” recounts Olha, the wife of a soldier from the 14th brigade, to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. This testimony is confirmed by official reports indicating soldiers who “lose consciousness due to hunger and drink rainwater.”

The chaplains, priests by the side of Ukrainian soldiers: “The heart of our mission is to preserve the humanity of our fighters.”

Embarrassment for Ukrainian command

But this situation could have been largely avoided, as it does not stem from a shortage but rather from poor command. On April 24, General Oleksandr Syrsky removed one of the two brigade commanders from his position and demoted the second. They were accused of not reporting the situation to their superiors, as explained by Politico.

“Systematic enemy airstrikes and missile strikes on the Oskil river crossings have significantly complicated the logistical support of troops around the city of Kupiansk. The supply of our troops on site is ensured by boats and heavy drones… Brigade commanders concealed the actual situation, including the loss of several positions and errors in assessing soldiers’ supply. A food supply problem was notably observed for one of the brigade’s positions… The commander of the separate mechanized 14th brigade was removed from his position, and the commander of the 10th army corps was dismissed from his post and appointed to a lower position,” indicates the military staff in a statement. They were respectively replaced by Colonel Taras Maksimov and Brigadier General Artem Bogomolov.

Can Ukraine survive without American weapons? “It would be defenseless against ballistic missiles.”

The military staff also assures that they are taking “all possible measures to normalize the situation and improve the soldiers’ security,” as well as that a new shipment of food has been delivered and that as soon as conditions permit, “an immediate evacuation of our soldiers will be carried out.”

This scandal erupts as Ukraine recently entered its fourth year of war against Russia, and Ukrainian forces struggle to replenish their ranks against a depleted and demotivated population.