Ukrainian soldiers abandoned without food and water at the front: scandal breaks out

A senior Ukrainian commander was fired after the spread of photos depicting a group ofemaciated soldiersabandoned for months infront line senza enough food and water. Lo scandalit broke out after the wife of one of the soldiers,Anastasia Silchukpublished the images on social media.

The four men appear pale and visiblymalnourishedwith prominent ribs and slender arms. According to what their relatives told soldiers they had spenteight monthsto defend an increasingly smaller strip of territory on theleft bank of the Oskil Rivernear thecity ​​of Kupiansknell’Northeastern Ukraine dove i supplies of food and medicinesthey can only be transported viadrones. “When the boys came to the front lines, they weighed over 80-90 kg. Now they weigh about 50 kg,” Silchuk wrote.

The fight for survival on the front lines

After one delivery, he said, no others arrivedfoodfor 10 days. The soldiers were forced to drinkrainwater e a sciogliere la neveto survive. “The longest they have stayedwithout foodit was of17 days. Nobody listened to them on the radio, or maybe nobody wanted to listen to them. My husband was screaming and begging, saying there was no food or water,” she said. The soldiers of the14th Mechanized Brigadethey were in an extremely difficult situation. “They are passing out from thefame“, said Ivanna Poberezhnyuk whose father was evacuated from the outpost.

The response of the general staff and the logistical difficulties

Lo Ukrainian General Staffstated that he had replaced thecommander responsible for refuelingof the soldiers. The brigade admitted that there werelogistical problemsand stated that deliveries were only possible forby airbecause their location was extremely close toenemy lines.

“Everything is done with idrones. The Russians pay the utmost attention todeliveries of food, ammunition and fueland intercept and shoot down as many as possible” declared a spokesperson “Sometimes they are not so much interested in our military equipment as in thelogisticsactually.'” Soldiers are forced to travel 10-15 km on foot to reach their forward positions and in recent months, Ukraine has increasingly usedterrestrial robot per inviare suppliesin exposed areas and forevacuate wounded soldiers. Nel Kupiansk sectorla Russia ha distrutto i bridges over the River Oskilin an attempt toisolate Ukrainian forceson the left bank.

A new commander and the first improvements

Since the matter came to light, thesituation has improvedSilchuk told the Guardian. “There’s anew commander. He called us and said the situation is being resolved. And it’s true. My husband texted me that he just ate more than he has in the last eight months,” she said. “The kids are eating little by little. Their stomachs are empty and they don’t know if they will have food tomorrow.”