Disappointment is growing in the Ukrainian army over a return to a rigid, centralized command style that causes unnecessary casualties and lowers morale, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing interviews with Ukrainian officers and soldiers.
According to the newspaper, Ukrainian soldiers complain about a centralized command that punishes initiative and leads to senseless deaths. Generals order repeated frontal attacks with little chance of success and reject requests from exhausted units for tactical retreats to preserve personnel.
The newspaper cites the story of a Ukrainian captain who in May publicly criticized the high command for “stupid“ orders and losses on Facebook. After his battalion suffered heavy losses in a predictable attack, he wrote that the army was afraid of the generals. In response, the military leadership accused the soldier of violating discipline.
According to the publication, this approach to conducting military operations leads to a growing shortage of personnel, especially in the infantry.