This week, Major Bohdan Krotevych, the chief of staff of the Azov Brigade, accused a senior general of incompetence, blaming him for "thousands" of casualties among the Ukrainian military. According to The Washington Post, the public criticism from the military reflects growing discontent among Ukrainian troops as Russia advances on the battlefield, UNN reports .
Details
According to the complaint, obtained by The Washington Post, Krotevych accused Sodol of a number of mistakes, starting with his command of the defense of Mariupol in 2022. It was during this siege that the Azov Brigade became famous for holding on to the Azovstal plant long after the rest of the city had fallen.
"Although General Sodol did not lead the defense of the city and did not spend a single hour in Mariupol, he was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine," Krotevych wrote.
He added that Sodol did not supply the Azov brigade with ammunition or build up the city's defenses before the attack.
And recently, while commanding the eastern front, Sodol ordered Azov to advance, even though the brigade did not have enough artillery ammunition to do so. When the soldiers refused to do so, an investigation was launched against the Azov commander.
"General Sodol is inadequately managing the troops, and his decisions have led to the deaths of thousands of servicemen of the Armed Forces, the National Guard and other defense units, which has led to the weakness of positions at the front and the loss of a large amount of territory," Krotevych said.
According to WP, other influential people also questioned Sodol's command.
WP claims that disputes and complaints within the military are usually kept secret; soldiers who criticize their command can be punished. Discussion of combat casualties is considered a state secret, which Ukraine's political leadership prefers to downplay in order not to weaken public morale.