Ukrainian commander Kozl's interview to the Washington Post was honest, soldiers say. The reality is much worse
Commander of the combat battalion of the 46th separate air mobile brigade of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Anatoliy Kozl “Kupol” was dismissed from his post for his interview with The Washington Post. We’ve promised to collected opinions among the Ukrainian soldiers that know Anatoliy Kozel and know the subject as they serve at the front now. They admitted that the interview is honest and relevant. In fact, it is discreet and balanced. They also admitted that reality is much worse.
Anatoliy Kozl gives an interview, after which the top military-political leadership should convene an urgent meeting to fix the outlined problems. Because this is reality. And it is not an opinion of a pseudo-expert about “two or three weeks”. It is an objective expert opinion of a top-class professional. A person who enjoys the one hundred percent unconditional respect of his subordinates and all other units he has ever come in contact with. But instead, the top military-political leadership decides to punish the too smart combatant and remove him from his post.
We collect several opinions / addresses of support to Anatoliy Kozl from Ukrainian soldiers that are honour to know him in person.
“The commander of the 3rd Battalion, 46th Airborne Assault Brigade, my brigade, gives an interview to the Washington Post.
Now I’m going to write something unpleasant. I haven’t written such things for a long time. But now I will. And it’ll be a long text. Very long.
We position ourselves, our state, our society as completely opposite to the russian federation and sovok as its predecessor.
We are free, we are strong, we are democratic, we will not fall on our knees, we do not have and will never have a tsar and all other worn-out slogans.
This is a theory. In practice, it’s a little bit different. In practice, there is a small (larger than it was 9 years ago, but smaller than necessary) percentage of active and conscious society for which these slogans are not just a set of letters.
In practice, one of the best commanders of this nine-year war is removed from his post. In practice, in our country, they try to shut up the military so that, God forbid, they do not destroy an ideal picture of the world painted by the authorities for average people. In practice, we will very quickly and painfully f#ck up everything for which tens of thousands of people have already died. In practice, we are already beginning to repeat a century-long history. The dance on the rake is taking place smoothly and like clockwork.
He gives an interview, after which the top military-political leadership should convene an urgent meeting to fix the outlined problems. Because this is reality. And it is not an opinion of a pseudo-expert about “two or three weeks”. It is an objective expert opinion of a top-class professional. A person who enjoys the one hundred percent unconditional respect of his subordinates and all other units he has ever come in contact with.
But instead, the top military-political leadership decides to punish the too smart combatant and remove him from his post.
Hello, Soviet Union v2.0.
I don’t want to write at length about how mean it is. It’s obvious. About the fact that now we are completely and like by tracing copying our neighbor of the early khuylo era. About the fact that professionals of this level can’t be treated like that during a decisive war.
I want to write about the outcomes.
The main outcome will be demotivation of the army. Its professional and intellectual part. These people are not the riff-raff, whose opinion is never taken into account. They have won their right to expert evaluation and opinion with blood, sweat and years of war. And there is no other, better time to announce it than now, during this war.
Otherwise we will lose it. Without this expert opinion, we will lose it. We will. The victory is not apparent. And we are not at the finish line. And we are not doing well.
Demotivation and outflow of personnel. If society swallows it, if the army swallows it, a large number of military pros will send everything to hell and leave the army. Each of them has enough illnesses to retire.
A significant part of the experienced personnel of the Third Battalion will definitely leave. I would leave myself if they did it to my commander. Because it is not president who inspires the personnel.
Suddenly.
The army doesn’t care about the president. At all. Completely. Absolutely.
The army is inspired by those who stay at home, behind, and those who lead forward – commanders. Commanders of companies, platoons, sergeants.
The incredible effectiveness of our brigade is not the merit of the president or any other person.
This is primarily and solely the merit of all these commanders, followed by their personnel. Their ability to organize, plan and provide. Most often, unfortunately, not thanks to the state, but in spite of it.”
“Anatoly Kozl – the Man with a capital letter. The Best Combat. The proven combat commander. Ours. I wish everyone had such an excellent Commander, for whom every person is precious. Who defend his personnel with might and main. Who is at war from the very beginning. Who went through Pisky, the Kyiv and Kherson regions, as well as Bakhmut and Klishchiivka. He with his guys fought to the last near Soledar.
The commander, who performed the assigned tasks, preserving us, the personnel, as much as possible. I don’t think I ever even heard him raise his voice. He treats us with respect.
He is removed from his position for telling the truth in an interview to the Washington Post. His removal is the height of cynicism of the country’s leadership. Because now we are fighting for our right to freedom and to the truth. This is what distinguishes us from those who came to destroy us. These actions of the leadership entail the punishment of our entire battalion, because the removal of our Commander from his post undermines our fighting spirit and faith in the honesty and principles of high-ranking officials.
Anatoly Anatoliyovych, I feel highly honoured to serve under Your command!”
“The Combat with a capital letter!
Since he can be punished just like me for the truth he dared to express in an interview to The Washington Post, I would like to tell you about him…
Anatoly Anatolich is a Commander with a capital letter, who never chases glory and does not put people on this path, because he chose a different path.
When I served in 1995, he was the deputy battalion commander, and then he won the fame of the “god of convoys”, not because he sought it, but because he performed the assigned tasks and preserved personnel. He was a reliable commander, who enjoyed respect of his soldiers, but was always underestimated, probably because of his qualities described above.
When Anatolich called me and said that he was forming a battalion, I had no doubt that it was under his command that I would go to fight.
Since 2015, I have never heard or seen him yell at fighters or humiliate anyone. On the contrary, he treated each fighter with respect!
And the punishment in the form of his removal from the position is primarily the punishment of the personnel who faithfully liberated the occupied territories and protected the people they had sworn to protect, sometimes at the cost of their own lives and health. They liberated the South of Ukraine, and then Bakhmut, Klishchiivka and Soledar!
Anatoly Anatoliyovych, I have the honor to defend the Ukrainian people under Your command!”
Tags: Anatoly kozl russia ukraine war ukraine front linesRussia – Ukraine war latest updates from the General Staff of Ukraine as of April…
So, what do we have today? Svyrydenko has signed a framework memorandum with the U.S.…
Monitoring Group of the BlackSeaNews Editorial Team and the Institute for Black Sea Strategic Studies…
Russia – Ukraine war latest updates from the General Staff of Ukraine as of April…
Russia – Ukraine war latest updates from the General Staff of Ukraine as of April…
After the liberation of Kherson, the Russians launched a brutal campaign of terror against civilians…
View Comments
The truth may hurt, but not as much as the pain resulting from lies. It's true that it is difficult to tell these days. The mistake was talking to Washington Post, a strongly - suspected russian - supporting paper. Please stay true to yourself Ukraine