A controversy has emerged regarding the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine, following claims from soldiers’ families about severe shortages of food and water at their positions. The situation has prompted a response from the General Staff of the Armed Forces, resulting in the removal of senior commanders.
Families of soldiers serving in the brigade have reported that troops have been enduring critical conditions for several months, with some resorting to drinking rainwater due to a lack of supplies. The logistics of delivering essential provisions have been complicated by ongoing Russian shelling targeting supply routes.
According to a statement from Ivanna Poberezhniuk, the daughter of a former brigade soldier, the troops have been without adequate supplies for eight months. She shared images of visibly malnourished soldiers on social media, stating that they were assigned to the 30th Brigade and had been forced to drink rainwater, leading to instances of fainting from hunger.
“The soldiers are on the front lines without food and water! The command is unresponsive. They are losing consciousness from hunger and drinking rainwater,” she wrote.
Another soldier’s wife, Anastasia Silchuk, posted a message on Facebook detailing that the soldiers have to source water themselves, either by melting snow or collecting rainwater, and that supplies of food and medicine arrive only once every week or two.
“We voluntarily took up arms to defend Ukraine on the first day of the full-scale invasion. We urge the higher command to address this situation and prevent treacherous actions,” the message stated.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has acknowledged the concerns raised on social media. In a response to Poberezhniuk’s post, the ministry indicated that the new commander of the 14th Brigade has taken control of the situation.
While the Ministry recognized that conditions at the front can be critical and logistics challenging, the press service of the brigade confirmed the issues, attributing them to difficulties in delivering supplies due to ongoing attacks.
- Deliveries are primarily conducted via drones due to constant shelling.
- The newly appointed commander, Colonel Taras Maksimov, is actively working to rectify the situation.
- Brigade command is maintaining communication with the families of the soldiers.
The brigade has released a video illustrating the challenges of logistical operations under fire.
On April 24, the General Staff of the Armed Forces provided an official comment, noting that logistics in the Kupiansk area have been hampered by systematic Russian strikes on crossings over the Oskil River. However, the investigation revealed shortcomings in leadership, including the concealment of the true state of affairs and the failure to address supply issues.
As a result, the commander of the 14th Brigade has been removed, and the commander of the 10th Army Corps has been dismissed and reassigned. Colonel Taras Maksimov has been appointed to lead the 14th Brigade, replacing Lieutenant Colonel Anatoliy Lysytskyi, while Brigadier General Artem Bohomolov has taken over the 10th Army Corps.
The General Staff has assured that food supplies have already reached the brigade’s positions, and evacuation plans for soldiers will be implemented if conditions allow.
The Military Law Enforcement Service of Ukraine is monitoring reports of potential violations related to the situation and will ensure that any confirmed unlawful actions are addressed legally. The General Staff has stated that many of the issues raised on social media were already under investigation by law enforcement.
The 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade, named after Prince Roman the Great, was established on December 10, 2014, and has participated in multiple rotations in the ATO/OOS zone. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, the brigade has been involved in combat operations across various regions, including Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and in counteroffensive operations in Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, and Donetsk.
The 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine is under scrutiny following allegations from soldiers' families about severe shortages of food and water. The General Staff has responded by removing senior commanders and pledging to address the logistical challenges faced by the troops.