Army has become political hostage, and now they are blaming it on General Sodol - military expert Sniehyriov

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

"Those accusations against Sodol raise at least some questions. You know, when I read the so-called controlled leak, it was the American media reports. By the way, colleagues, how did Washington get access to the internal documents of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI)? Why didn't the Security Service of Ukraine initiate criminal proceedings? This information is of an official nature, it is about an investigation into high-ranking officials of the Ukrainian army, and we find ourselves with a passageway for the SBI where American journalists can get our data. Will the Security Service respond to this kind of controlled information leakage? If not, then we are talking about a political order," Sniehyriov said.

The expert recalled that the former commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was accused of ordering an attack despite the lack of artillery shells. According to Sniehyriov, the occupation forces are firing 12 to 15 thousand shells, while the Armed Forces of Ukraine respond with only two thousand. This was not a surprise, so claims against Sodol are unfounded, he added.

"There are claims about Mariupol's unpreparedness. My question is the same: why wasn't Mariupol ready? On June 23, 2021, I had to provide operational information about the Russian command's plans. I emphasize again, as of June 2021, the plans to capture Berdiansk and Mariupol were known. You can find this in open sources. My question is for Bezuhla and the top political leadership: why was the information ignored? Six months before the full-scale invasion, we warned about a possible scenario," he said.

Sniehyriov added that a similar situation occurred with the river crossing near Lysychansk.

"Intelligence groups tracked the movement of pontoon equipment and identified a potential crossing site. The information was ignored. Three days later, the Russians crossed the river and captured Lysychansk within two days, a city we could have held for months. I will prepare a response statement to Ms. Bezuhla and the intelligence representatives about the disregard for intelligence information. The information was publicly available and passed to the National Security and Defense Committee, leading to the loss of Ukrainian territory. Lysychansk was essentially surrendered without a fight, like Mariupol. So, what’s the blame on Sodol?" emphasized the expert.

He added that the operation near Krynky village, like Bakhmut, was a political decision, not a strategic one.

"Friends, this is purely a political decision. The Ukrainian generals, including Syrskyi and Zaluzhnyi, insisted on withdrawing Ukrainian troops from Bakhmut. Even our Western partners suggested focusing on a counteroffensive. Operational reserves should have been directed to the Zaporizhzhia front, but all reserves were essentially depleted during the Bakhmut operation. The army has become a hostage to political decisions, and now Sodol is being blamed for the high casualties near Krynky," Sniehyriov said. 

He added, "Nobody knew that the Dnipro width at this point is over a kilometer, making logistics, ammunition delivery, evacuation of the wounded, and personnel rotation impossible. Did they not know? How is Sodol involved in political decisions? Sodol is being blamed for the destruction of a Ukrainian armored group of five IFVs. The level of idiocy is off the charts. The commander of the Joint Forces Operation 'Khortytsia' is now being held responsible for decisions at the level of a platoon or even a squad? People don't understand, sorry, what Sodol's role is in battalion, company, or platoon-level decisions. But the internet is flooded with claims that it's all Sodol's fault. This situation undermines trust in the decisions of the Ukrainian General Staff."

What preceded 

On June 23, it was reported that the Chief of Staff of the Azov Brigade, Bohdan Krotevych, had sent a letter to the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) calling for a criminal case to be opened against a Ukrainian general who, he claimed, had killed more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general. On June 24, the SBI clarified that Krotevych had filed a complaint against Yuriy Sodol.

Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol came under scrutiny due to accusations related to the defense of Mariupol, where it was claimed there was inadequate coordination and support. Additionally, Sodol was criticized for orders that some military personnel and politicians believed led to significant Ukrainian military losses.

Also on June 24, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Andriy Hnatov as the new Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Yuriy Sodol.

On June 28, Bohdan Krotevych received a response to his letter to the SBI but expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome.