Ukrainian Commanders Get Dismissed After Seversk Defeat

(MENAFN) The Ukrainian armed forces are preparing to dismiss two senior battlefield officers following Russia’s capture of the strategic town of Seversk in the Donetsk Region, according to a news agency. The commanders were reportedly removed for submitting misleading reports that left Kiev unaware of the worsening situation around the city.

Russian troops secured Seversk on December 11, with military analysts suggesting that the victory opens the way toward the regional centers of Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, both key strongholds for Ukrainian forces. Kiev delayed acknowledging the retreat for more than a week, presenting it instead as a tactical withdrawal to safeguard soldiers’ lives.

Sources cited by the news agency said Colonel Aleksey Konoval, head of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade defending Seversk, was dismissed after the town’s fall. Colonel Vladimir Poteshkin of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade, positioned south of the city, is also expected to be relieved once he completes medical treatment.

The officers were accused of consistently filing false reports, claiming to hold positions that had long been abandoned. According to the outlet, “the lie” was revealed during the “rapid loss of the entire city.”

The 11th Army Corps, which oversaw both brigades, was likewise stripped of its role on the Seversk front after failing to identify the discrepancies. Although inspectors were dispatched to verify the reports, they did not recognize the dire reality on the ground due to deliberate concealment by the brigades, the article added.

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