The problems with defending the city began even earlier when the enemy seized key positions around it, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost Vuhledar and found themselves surrounded in the "Uspenivskyi pocket," the journalist believes.
The former commander of the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Vitaliy Zolotaryov, is facing the threat of prosecution. He is accused of losing the town of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region.
Journalist Yuliya Kyriyenko writes about this.
In her opinion, accusing the commander amid systemic problems is inappropriate.
"Yuriy Halushkin, Horbenko, Lapin, Ryumshyn. This is not the full list of commanders who have found themselves in the dock. It seems that soon Colonel Vitaliy Zolotaryov may join them. His comrades say he has already received warnings and advice to find a lawyer. He is the former commander of the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of Ukraine, which still defends the outskirts of Kurakhove," — she wrote.
The journalist notes that initially Zolotaryov was removed from brigade command because he was allegedly blamed for the loss of Kurakhove, and now there is talk of publicly punishing him.
"Who is Zolotaryov? He is a commander who has served in the 46th Brigade from the beginning. Even during the battles for Soledar, where units of the 46th found themselves surrounded because infantry from other units fled so far that they’d be caught somewhere near Kramatorsk. He became a brigade commander during the peak of the battles in the Kurakhove area. During this time, only the 46th sent 7 enemy brigades for restoration. They stayed in the city even when only one road remained open and held the city even when there was almost no infantry," — the journalist recounts.
She noted that it’s difficult to hold heights for long when each is defended by 2 people and a "virtually wiped out" battalion" in semi-encirclement.
"That is, initially the army loses Vuhledar because no one in the upper command was interested in the fact that for over two years the battered 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Black Zaporozhians was there, and it couldn’t be adequately withdrawn. Then there’s the Uspenivskyi pocket, where elements of the 79th Separate Assault Brigade are pinned down. Then infantry flee whole companies from the town of Selydove and we lose Hirnyk — a key height in the direction. The front around Kurakhove, which the 46th Brigade held for more than a year prior, collapses like a house of cards in a matter of days. But the one blamed for the loss of the city is the commander of the 46th?" — Yuliya Kyriyenko questions.
She added that there was no personnel reinforcement and no effective punishment for AWOLs, and any commander does not have the authority to pull a reserve brigade or at least a battalion "out of their pocket" to assist.
According to the correspondent, Zolotaryov made the difficult decision to withdraw the remaining soldiers to preserve their lives.
"Maybe it would have been better if the officers and soldiers at the same Kurakhove died a hero’s death rather than making the tough decision to retreat and preserve valuable infantry? Thank you for your service, gentlemen officers. Take a seat in the dock. Is that how it turns out?" — she rhetorically asks.