The Ukrainian Commander of the 47th Brigade Oleksandr Shyrshyn explains his accusations against the leadership: “They’re simply trying to erase us”.
Commander of a battalion of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura,” Oleksandr Shyrshyn, has explained why he submitted his resignation and publicly commented on his decision.
This was reported in a new publication.
Oleksandr Shyrshyn: Friends, I am immensely grateful to all of you for your support! I did not expect such a strong response, but it seems there is a huge demand for solving these issues.
While carrying out missions in the Kursk region and along the Ukrainian-Russian border, I encountered tasks that, by all indications, were doomed to fail and exposed personnel to a high risk of unjustified losses. This happened repeatedly, without taking into account previous tragic experiences. The battalion and its companies took every possible measure to prevent such losses.
Before making a public statement, I repeatedly submitted both official and unofficial appeals regarding the feasibility of these missions, along with alternative proposals, to various levels of our command. Almost all of these appeals were ignored (with the exception of one, thanks to the commander of the 117th Brigade).
Due to the lack of proper response, I wrote my post with a simple goal: we need to change our approach to command and realistically assess our capabilities.
I have never called for the resignation of the Commander-in-Chief or any specific individual in the military leadership, because the problems we face are systemic, not tied to just one person.
However, in response, I was met with accusations, slander, and calls to “support the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces” and “not air our dirty laundry in public,” mostly from individuals and units loyal to the so-called “military elite.”
I have also never said that we should stop fighting—quite the opposite: only the strong are taken seriously, and physically destroying the enemy is essential. In addition to defense, we must go on the offensive, because wars are not won otherwise. That is precisely why I supported the Kursk operation and its implementation in the early stages.
I have never sought awards in any way, let alone tried to earn them through self-promotion. I never pursued ranks or positions. I simply did my job honestly and diligently, wherever I was assigned, to the best of my knowledge and abilities.
My battalion was always deployed to the most challenging areas. We never complained. We gritted our teeth and kept working despite all the problems and hardships. Our work and results have been repeatedly highlighted by the media, mentioned by the President in his addresses, and more.
My brave infantry clawed back our Ukrainian land, driving out the enemy, holding the defense in encirclement until their last breath with the words: “Guys! It has been an honor to fight alongside you!”, my brave crews – the best ones – drove into the rear of the enemy, destroyed tanks and armor, got wounded, blew up, got back in line and repeated, mortar launchers at the positions held back the enemy who drove into our rear, while covering the infantry on the front line. The sappers, laying mines right under the enemy’s nose, carried out the most work in Donbas. Grenadiers, anti-tank teams, machine gunners, the medical unit, reconnaissance, logistics—everyone was involved both in their specialized roles and as infantry when needed. They suffered losses, mourned their comrades, steeled their wills, and took revenge. No matter how difficult it was, my fighters risked their lives and carried out their orders.
But over the past few months, I have gotten the impression that they are simply trying to erase us. People’s lives are being treated like spare money to be wasted on parties. The ratio of losses to results points to a low level of efficiency.
It was precisely this, along with the inability—despite repeated efforts—to reach the command regarding the preservation of my unit’s combat readiness and the lives of my people, that prompted me to bring the issue to public attention.
Also, despite my resignation, none of my fighters have left or abandoned their positions; they continue to carry out new tasks still under my command.
As of today, there have already been attempts at communication from the General Staff. I hope for a constructive conversation, the development of concrete workable solutions, and not just a cover-up to avoid similar situations in the future.
A few days ago, the commander of “Magura” submitted his resignation report — on May 16, he publicly accused the leadership of issuing “foolish orders” and causing unjustified loss of personnel.
In response to Oleksandr Shyrshyn’s statement, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the formation of a working group tasked with reviewing the materials mentioned by the serviceman. They promised to “make appropriate decisions” based on the results of the investigation.
Tags: Analytics kursk kursk operation kursk region Russia russia ukraine war Ukraine war
