Ukrainian Soldier Exposes Harsh Realities of War: Commanders Survive While Soldiers Perish

A Ukrainian soldier has come forward to reveal the harsh truths of the ongoing conflict, shedding light on the discrepancies between the experiences of frontline troops and their commanders. In a candid video, the soldier criticizes the mobilization efforts and the mismanagement that has led to unnecessary casualties among ordinary soldiers.

The soldier begins by addressing the propaganda videos featuring high-ranking officers adorned with medals and decorations, who call for increased mobilization. “Videos are appearing online where military commanders, dressed in full uniform and covered in medals, talk about the need for more and more mobilization,” he says. He then poses a critical question: “What happened to those who were mobilized before? How is it that mostly commanders survive, while the soldiers and sergeants are gone?”

He describes the grim reality of being sent to the frontlines with false promises. “They tell you to go to the third line of defense, where there’s supposedly a fortified position. They drop you off, tell you to reach a certain point, and promise to come back for you. But in reality, these guys go in one direction and never return,” he explains. The soldier recounts a specific incident near Krasnohorivka, where troops were sent into suicidal situations with inadequate preparation.

The soldier also highlights the lack of proper equipment and support for frontline troops. “They tell you not to bring much, so it’s not too heavy. But when you get there, there’s nothing—just knee-deep trenches. In modern warfare, that’s a death sentence,” he says. He adds that soldiers are often left with insufficient ammunition, making it impossible to hold their positions. “They have maybe three or four magazines, which isn’t enough for even a day or two,” he notes.

The soldier reserves his harshest criticism for the commanders, whom he accuses of staying behind the lines while sending their troops to die. “The commander later talks about how he’s a brave officer, how hard it is to lose his men, but he’s ready to keep fighting. At whose expense? Obviously, at the expense of the lives of those boys who can’t be brought back,” he says. He further claims that many soldiers have never seen their commanders on the battlefield, only encountering them weeks later when they return from the frontlines.

The soldier concludes by stating that while not all commanders are like this, the majority fall into this category. “I’m not talking about all of them, but practice shows that about 70-80{07abb96dc229fd562d0d429054cc41ebee05ac6b010cb9cb51eebbb6c2a0774d} of these ‘heroes’ are like this,” he says.

This brutally honest account highlights the systemic issues within Ukraine’s military structure, where poor leadership and lack of support are costing lives. It also underscores the urgent need for reforms to ensure that soldiers are properly equipped, supported, and led by commanders who share their risks.

As the war continues, the soldier’s testimony serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict and the importance of accountability in leadership. It also raises questions about the ethics of mobilization and the responsibility of those in power to protect the lives of those who defend their country.

Transcription of the video translated into English:

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Congratulations!

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It’s getting harder that such videos appear on the internet,

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where the commanders are military,

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well, Dita has a military uniform,

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hung with medals, there, various orders,

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they tell you about the need

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more and more mobilization.

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And there is, well, a natural question,

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what did you do with those before that?

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How is it that basically

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only the commanders themselves remain alive,

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and the soldiers,

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ordinary sergeants,

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they just don’t exist.

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It’s still very simple.

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Approximately the same situation as they start up in positions,

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they say, or are you going to the third line of Defense,

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somewhere, like,

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well, there is some imaginary roadblock from yourself,

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then they drop you off,

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they say to get to the point there,

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and then they’ll take you away.

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And these guys, in short, go,

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but in fact, it turns out, in one direction.

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This is one of the cases,

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it was near Krasnogorovka.

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Then there was something that they tell you,

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that everything is dug in there.

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you don’t have to take anything with you,

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you don’t need to bathe,

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there are positions there.

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Everything will be very fine.

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Take becam to a minimum,

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so that it’s not hard for you.

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It turns out that there is nothing there,

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knee-deep trenches,

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and in the conditions of Modern Warfare,

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this is a hundred percent death.

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Period.

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Further, they say that there you will go out on one,

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or two days at most.

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There’s just to defend,

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you will hold the second, third line of Defense,

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that’s all.

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But in fact, it’s not even zero.

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There were such cases,

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that the boys were really in the red,

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when they were standing in the circle,

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that’s all.

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And get out of this situation,

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that just the guys are standing there,

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they have 10 packs of these cartridges there,

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that’s all.

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Three or four stores,

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and this is clearly not enough

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not for a day, not for two, especially.

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And the commander…

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And then the commander tells me,

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that he is a very strong combat officer,

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what if it’s hard for him to lose guys,

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but nevertheless,

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he is ready to continue going into battle.

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At what expense?

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Obviously, at the expense of those guys ‘ lives,

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which can’t be returned.

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And then he will tell on camera,

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what kind of combat officer is he,

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how he loves Ukraine,

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how he came from Poland,

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he left his business,

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he’s there,

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he’s all there.

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And what injuries does he have,

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and 718 concussions,

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only those who survive,

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they say,

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we never saw him on the battlefield.

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And some say,

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it was the first time I saw him,

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a month later, when I returned there,

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well, from minus or from zero.

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these are the realities of our combat officers.

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I don’t speak for everyone,

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but, well, practice shows,

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which is about 70-80 percent

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we have exactly such beauties.

Transcription of the video in Ukrainian:

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Вітаю!

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Все тяжче, що в інтернеті з’являються такі ролики,

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там де командири військові,

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ну, в діті військову форму,

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навішані з медалями, там, різними орденами,

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реповідають про необхідність

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все більшої і більшої мобілізації.

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І виникає, ну, закономірне питання,

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а що ж ти зробив з тими, що були до цього?

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Як так виходить, що в основному

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лишаються самі лише командири живими,

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а солдатів,

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сержантів простих,

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просто їх немає.

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Все ж дуже просто.

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Приблизно така ситуація, як заводять на позиції,

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кажуть, або ти йдеш на третю лінію оборони,

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десь, типо,

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ну, є від собі якийсь уявний блокпост,

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потім тебе висаджують,

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кажуть, дойти до точки туди,

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і далі тебе відведуть.

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І оці хлопці, короче, йдуть,

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а по факту, виходить, в одну сторону.

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Це один з випадків,

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це було під Красногорівкою.

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Далі було таке, що розповідають,

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що там все вкопане.

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нічого з собою брати не надо,

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купати не надо,

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позиції там є.

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Все буде дуже добре.

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Бекам беріть по мінімуму,

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щоб вам важко не було.

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Виявляється, там нічого немає,

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окопчики по коліну,

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а в умовах сучасної війни,

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це стопроцентна загибель.

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Крапка.

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Далі, кажуть, що там вийдете на один,

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чи на день два, максимум.

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Там просто відстояти,

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будете тримати другу, третю лінію оборони,

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і все.

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А по факту, то навіть не ноль.

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Були такі випадки,

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що пацани реально на мінусі стояли,

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коли вони в окруженні стояли,

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і все.

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І вийти таку ситуацію,

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що просто-напросто хлопці стоять,

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в них там по 10 пачок цих патрончиків,

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і все.

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Три-чотири магазина,

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і цього явно не вистачає

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ні на день, ні на два, тим більше.

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А командир…

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А командир потім розказує,

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що він дуже сильно бойовий офіцер,

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що як йому важко втрачати хлопців,

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але тим не менш,

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він готовий далі йти в бій.

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За який рахунок?

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Очевидно, за рахунок життя тих хлопців,

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яких вже не повернути.

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І далі він буде на камеру розповідати,

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який він бойовий офіцер,

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як він любить Україну,

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як він приїхав з Польщі,

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чи він покинув свій бізнес,

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чи він там то,

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чи він там все.

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І які в нього поранення,

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і 718 контузій,

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тільки ті, хто виживають,

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вони кажуть,

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ми його в очі на полях бою не бачили.

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А деякі кажуть,

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я перший раз його побачив,

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через місяць, як вернувся там,

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ну, з мінуса чи з нуля.

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отакі реалії наших бойових офіцерів.

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Я не кажу за всіх,

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але, ну, практика показує,

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що десь відсотків 70-80

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іменно таких красавців в нас є.

When did the event happen: 2024/03/09