Ukraine demotes commander who gave interview about ill-trained troops
He mentioned that he determined to talk out, regardless of the dangers, hoping the United States would guarantee higher coaching for Ukrainian troopers, together with some who’ve gone into battle with out understanding the best way to throw a grenade or deal with their weapons. Some deserted their positions whereas underneath Russian hearth, he mentioned within the interview.
Ukrainian army and authorities officers didn’t instantly reply on Thursday night to request from The Post for touch upon Kupol’s standing.
But a spokesman for the Airborne Assault Forces, Valentyn Shevchenko, confirmed to the Ukrainska Pravda information website that Kupol had been faraway from his battalion command and reassigned to a coaching heart. Shevchenko mentioned that Kupol didn’t have permission from his commander, as required, to talk to the press, and that he had exaggerated his unit’s losses, in addition to the poor stage of coaching of substitute troops.
Kupol’s punishment has spurred outrage amongst some in Ukraine, who mentioned his feedback mirrored a needed fact that Ukrainian leaders are unwilling to listen to.
Kupol voiced his issues as Russian and Ukrainian forces are locked in a grinding artillery conflict with neither facet seemingly sturdy sufficient to make critical territorial good points. Russian leaders are insisting that their conflict goals, together with the seizure of 4 southeast Ukrainian areas, will probably be achieved. Ukraine is getting ready for what many analysts count on will probably be a spring counteroffensive that may require vital manpower and ammunition to push Russian forces out of territory they management.
Kupol and different army personnel have warned that job will probably be extraordinarily tough with so a lot of Ukraine’s most skilled fighters now wounded or killed. Ukraine retains its casualties secret however U.S. and European officers have estimated as many as 120,000 lifeless and wounded. Russia is believed to have misplaced about 200,000 however has a a lot bigger inhabitants.
“These are exactly the kind of people we need at the front,” Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, wrote on his Telegram channel about Kupol. “He emphasized in the interview that the soldiers should be trained even better. Of course, the better prepared a warrior is, the better he fights. What is wrong here? I believe that this story should be publicized.”
Another lawmaker, Volodymyr Ariev, wrote on Facebook: “This government wants to hear only what they want.”
Yuri Butusov, a outstanding Ukrainian conflict reporter, mentioned that Kupol’s troops are those who will endure from his departure. Butusov expressed hope that Kupol could be reinstated and that the army management could be keen to listen to arduous truths.
“We have to defeat Russia both on the front and in our minds — and instead of shutting our mouths, we have to start thinking and acting to improve ourselves daily,” Butusov posted on Facebook.
About 100 of the five hundred troops in Kupol’s battalion have been killed during the last yr, and 400 others have been wounded, he mentioned. The mass casualties left him liable for new, inexperienced troops who have been anticipated to deploy instantly regardless of an apparent lack of coaching.
In the interview, Kupol had acknowledged that his remarks might lead to disciplinary measures. “As a patriot of my country, I’m worried about my country. That’s all,” he mentioned.
“Do you know what the problem is with our commanders?” he added. “They have a narrow circle, which does not deliver bad news to them. They filter out the bad news.”
Khurshudyan reported from New York. Serhiy Morgunov in Kyiv contributed to this report.