14th Brigade, 10th Corps commanders dismissed after shocking pictures of emaciated Ukrainian soldiers emerge
on Google
Ukraine's General Staff announced on April 24 the dismissal of the commanders of the 10th Corps and 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade over allegations of losing Ukrainian positions, providing inadequate support to frontline troops, and concealing the true situation in their frontline sector.
The announcement comes after the daughter of a former soldier from the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the 14th Brigade, Ivanna Poberezhniuk, posted photos of severely emaciated soldiers, who she said are stationed at their positions in Kharkiv Oblast without food or water due to command negligence.
Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 30th Brigade were reportedly fainting from hunger and forced to drink rainwater. The command, for its part, did not respond to the situation, according to Poberezhniuk.
The wife of one of the brigade's soldiers, Anastasiia Silchuk, also wrote on Facebook on April 21 that soldiers have faced ongoing delays for seven months in the delivery of food, water, essential medical supplies, and fuel to their positions, with shipments sometimes taking seven to 14 days to arrive.
Silchuk also said there are frequent communication disruptions at the positions, with service sometimes unavailable for three to four days.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry responded to Poberezhniuk's post on Threads on April 23, saying that the commander of the 14th Brigade had taken note of the situation and that, despite logistical challenges, efforts were underway to address troop supply issues and rotate personnel.
The following day, the General Staff announced that 14th Brigade commander Anatolii Lysetskyi had been replaced by Taras Maksimov.
The General Staff also said that the current commander of the 10th Corps, Serhii Perts, had been relieved of his post and demoted, and that Artem Bohomolov would become the new commander of the corps.
Meanwhile, citing military sources, Ukrainska Pravda reported that Perts has been transferred to the position of chief of staff of the "East" Operational Command, where he will serve alongside Major General Viktor Nikoliuk.
Ukrainska Pravda also reported, citing its sources, that the dismissals of the 10th Corps and 14th Brigade commanders were not directly linked to the publication of photos showing emaciated soldiers. The decisions were made several days earlier but were not announced publicly until April 24.
According to the source, the removal of both the corps commander and the brigade commander was due to "shortcomings identified in their performance."
In the April 24 statement, the General Staff said that constant Russian shelling of crossings over the Oskil River has significantly hampered logistical support for units near the city of Kupiansk. As a result, supplies are now being delivered by boats and drones.
The General Staff added that the new brigade and corps leadership is taking "all possible measures" to normalize the situation and ensure the supply of troops in combat positions.
The 14th Brigade said that a new shipment of food supplies has been delivered to the military unit whose situation had been circulating online, and that, weather permitting, troops will be able to withdraw from their positions.
At the same time, an internal investigation is ongoing at the General Staff into officials of the 14th Mechanized Brigade. Based on its findings, appropriate administrative decisions will be made, and the investigation materials will be forwarded to law enforcement agencies for legal review, according to the April 24 statement.
In addition, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi has ordered Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of the Joint Forces Group, to conduct an inspection to ensure that all necessary supplies are being delivered to frontline troops.
