Zelenskyy replaces General Sodol amid allegations of mass losses
- Sodol did not value the personnel. Neither officers nor soldiers - says a marine infantry brigade soldier, who took part in battles near Krynki, in an interview with liga.net. He recalls that marines were sent to attack up to the last. - Dozens, if not hundreds, of soldiers died - adds the soldier. General Sodol was dismissed on Monday.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he appeared on the front line near Pokrovsk, where Russians had gathered the vast majority of brigades and assault regiments.
The Ukrainian leader announced that he was accompanied by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and the new commander of the Joint Forces, Gen. Andriy Hnatov.
On the same day, the portal liga.net published an interview with soldiers commanded by the dismissed Gen. Yuriy Sodol. This happened after a report by the Chief of Staff of the Azov National Guard Brigade, Bohdan Krotevych, who approached the Ukrainian Intelligence Service to initiate an investigation into Sodol, accusing him of enormous unit losses.
Sources from Ukrainska Pravda report that Krotevych accused the general of "exceeding authority and inept command of troops, which led to the loss of a large part of Ukraine's territory" and urged the commander to be checked "for collaboration with the enemy."
"In my opinion, he killed (with his decisions - ed. note) more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general. During testimonies in cases on which I cannot speak, I mentioned, in my opinion, war crimes committed," - wrote Krotevych on Telegram.
Sodol did not value the personnel—neither officers nor soldiers, said a marine infantry brigade soldier who took part in the assaults near Krynki to liga.net. The soldier recalls that "marines were sent to attacks where it was physically impossible."
Responsible for the death of thousands of soldiers. "Up to the last"
- We are talking about Sodol and how he did not value people in the military. Publicity in this situation was the right decision - added the deputy from the Servant of the People Defence Committee of the Supreme Council, Fyodor Venislavsky, on the portal.
The Azov Chief of Staff was not the first to criticize Sodol. Volunteer Serhiy Sternenko and MP Maryana Bezuhla had done so earlier. Even then, he was accused of personnel negligence, which led to casualties among soldiers.
One of the soldiers recorded a conversation with Gen. Sodol. - Forward, forward, up to the last marine - can be heard on the recording. - Sodol is a typical commander from the times of Chechnya and Afghanistan - says a Ukrainian soldier.
"We stormed because it was an order"
- He is far from a modern officer - he adds. - There were rumours that they even drew a paper map for him, although before the Kherson operation, everyone used secure electronic maps; we asked: where can we get to the left bank? The answer was: you will get this information from the locals - the soldier recounts.
- We stormed because it was an order - admits the Ukrainian marine.
"I don't care that battalion and brigade commanders are tried for losing an observation point, but a general is not tried for losing regions, dozens of cities, and thousands of soldiers," - wrote, in turn, one of the defenders of Mariupol.
- Brigade commanders tried to prove to Sodol that at Krynki, the troops were dying by the dozens, if not hundreds - says a soldier. He adds that as revenge, Sodol sent one of those commanders on leave, after which he removed him from his position.
