Guardian: Ukraine's commander-in-chief should resign, says former Azov chief of staff

Bohdan Krotevych, former Chief of Staff of the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade, has urged Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, to resign, as he lacks a strategic vision and endangers the lives of Ukrainian soldiers by issuing "borderline criminal" orders.

Source: Krotevych in an interview with The Guardian

Details: In the interview, Krotevych expressed frustration that Syrskyi and the current leadership were involved in the "manual micro-management of the whole army". He also highlighted orders given to soldiers and units, which he argued forced them to rest and be stationed too close to the front lines.

Krotevych stated that during his service, he also received orders from higher command, the commander-in-chief's headquarters, which became increasingly criminal. He added, "I, in my good conscience, was unable to fulfil and follow" these orders.

Quote from the Guardian: "He [Krotevych] accused the army command of being 'criminally guilty of not understanding the principles of war right now' and in particular 'how FPV drones work, how glide bombs work."

Details: Krotevych noted that the substantial increase in the deployment of first-person view (FPV) drones, capable of operating up to 22 km, along with Russian glide bombs, which until recently Ukraine had struggled to stop, has significantly expanded the depth of the contact line. Despite this, he argued that Ukraine's commanders have not responded effectively to the evolving situation.

He remarked, "They still have the mentality of fighting in the second world war". "They still refuse to acknowledge the new means of hitting targets". He also pointed out that Syrskyi was using regulations from 2016 to justify stationing soldiers so close to the front, a period when "war was completely different".

Krotevych also believes that Syrskyi should go because he has failed to break through the Russian line, except on the Kursk front in August 2024, where he found the "weakest spot" and delivered a simple "linear strike".

"Syrskyi is not trying to apply a high science and an art of war," Krotevych said, accusing him of having "just two functions: if the enemy is attacking, you just throw more people in there. And if the enemy is overwhelming, withdraw the people and say that you’re concerned about the lives of the people".

In the interview, Krotevych revealed his plans to establish a private company, the Strategic Operational and Intelligence Agency (Soia), which will gather intelligence on Russia, Belarus, North Korea and other countries hostile to Ukraine. The agency will also serve as an expert liaison with the West.

He also emphasised that he is not associated with Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces and now Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, and made it clear that he has no intention of entering politics himself.

"I just want to destabilise Russia so it could not make war again," he said.

Background:

• Krotevych retired from military service and stepped down as chief of staff of the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade in February 2025.
• In June 2024, Krotevych submitted a formal complaint to the State Bureau of Investigation, requesting an investigation into Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol, Commander of Ukraine's Joint Forces. He accused Sodol of abuse of power and incompetent troop command, which contributed to the loss of a significant portion of Ukraine's territory.
• As a result, Sodol was dismissed from his position and the State Bureau of Investigation was required to open a criminal case in September 2024.

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