The army runs on supplies, but its will to fight — its ability to endure and destroy the enemy — lies in the hands of its leadership. There’s a huge difference between a unit that merely survives and one that actually fights.

This isn’t directed at any specific command, but I believe this is something critically lacking in the mindset of Ukraine’s officer corps. A mediocre officer in peacetime affects combat readiness — something that can sometimes be ignored. But a mediocre or incompetent officer during war leads to soldiers dying and reduces both morale and the unit’s ability to hold the line or go on the offensive.

We have lost more people because of poor leadership than because of Russia’s actions. I’ll say it again: as a soldier since February 2022, I state that we’ve lost more lives due to bad command decisions and Soviet-style thinking than from direct Russian attacks. Ukraine’s officer corps behaves like a caste system of untouchables or “military princes.” Instead of caring about proper living conditions for soldiers, most of the leadership is more concerned with having a private room or access to a shower.

This system not only allows incompetent officers to avoid responsibility but even lets them get promoted or transferred to other positions — just to avoid paperwork or so that brigade or battalion commanders don’t have to demote friends or deal with the consequences. This kind of cronyism directly impacts the situation on the front lines.

A real example is the 59th Brigade. After Sukharevskyi was transferred to the SBS, command was handed to Shevchuk. In the first two months of his leadership, he sent reconnaissance officers on assault missions — resulting in deaths and severe injuries among those who had no connection to combat operations. This destroyed not only morale but the effectiveness of the unit. He sent soldiers to unreachable positions without any hope of reinforcement or even survival. It took over 16 months to remove him from command — 16 months of decisions that cost dozens, possibly hundreds, of lives.

These situations are part of a larger problem in Ukraine’s Ground Forces. The NCO corps was never properly formed after the full-scale invasion began in 2022, and the officer corps continues to function by Soviet-era templates, where failures are covered up — and soldiers pay the price. We’re shedding blood for Ukraine, dying for Ukraine, fighting for our children, our wives, our sons and daughters — while officers who don’t care, who lack motivation, and who are unfit to lead, keep making decisions that lead to pointless deaths.

I can’t speak to levels above the battalion, but considering recent statements by officers who tried to change the system and were forced to resign — this should be a wake-up call to those in power. Change is necessary if we want to preserve the next generation’s freedom, Ukraine’s identity, and continue the path to democracy. At the current pace, these officers will keep filling cemeteries with brave, courageous Ukrainians — for no good reason.

That’s why I will no longer lead brave men and women into the hell of battle unless I know that there is an officer behind us who actually cares whether we live or die and who wants to carry out the mission together with us.

The most valuable thing we have is our people, our minds, our ability to think. We must engrave the belief that people matter more than meters or medals — something that, sadly, is absent today. Among us there are butchers, there are degenerates, and these officers must be removed immediately if we want to win this war and preserve our state.