NEW YORK, August 13. /TASS/. The Ukrainian army is growing increasingly frustrated with the inflexible, do-what-I-say-or-else command style that permeates the military, which leads to senseless human losses and kills morale, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Tuesday, citing conversations with Ukrainian officers and soldiers.
According to the newspaper, the Ukrainian military complains of a centralized command culture that punishes initiative and results in pointless loss of life. Generals order repeated frontal assaults that have little hope of success, the newspaper wrote, and deny requests from beleaguered units to carry out tactical retreats and save their men.
The newspaper tells the story of a Ukrainian captain who, in May, criticized senior commanders for what he called "stupid" orders and losses on Facebook (banned in Russia; owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia). After his battalion sustained heavy losses in a futile offensive, he revealed the culture of fear that exists among soldiers towards their superiors. Commanding officers responded by accusing him of disciplinary violations.