Ukraine Changes Military Leadership in Kharkiv After Russian Gains

Facts

• Following a new Russian offensive in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region late last week, Ukraine replaced the military commander in charge of the region, according to a report in RBC Ukraine on Monday.¹
• According to the report, Gen. Yuriy Galushkin — who was only appointed the role in April — was replaced by Brigadier Gen. Mykhailo Drapaty, the deputy chief of staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces. He will reportedly keep his existing position.²
• It comes as Russia has captured at least nine villages and settlements since launching the offensive in Kharkiv. Russian forces further claimed to be fighting in the border town of Vovchansk. Ukrainian officials confirmed that fighting there was ongoing.³
• While no official reason for the dismissal was given, the previous military leadership in Kharkiv was heavily criticized following Russian advances. In an interview with the BBC, Denys Yaroslavskyi, commander of a Ukrainian reconnaissance unit, accused the leadership of being improperly prepared — though it was widely known that a Russian offensive was coming.⁴
• 'There was no first line of defence,' Yaroslavskyi said. 'We saw it. The Russians just walked in. They just walked in, without any mined fields.' He added: 'Either it was an act of negligence, or corruption. It wasn't a failure. It was a betrayal.'⁴
• Seemingly in response to the remarks, Tamaz Gambarashvili, head of the Ukrainian military administration in Vovchansk, told Ukrainian radio on Monday that fortifications were built. However, he said they were not as dense as they could've been as it was difficult to erect them while enduring ongoing bombardment and being so close to the Russian border.⁵

Sources: ¹Novinite.com, ²Agenzia Nova, ³BBC News (a), ⁴BBC News (b) and ⁵Ukrainska Pravda.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Ukrainska Pravda. While everything was done to prepare for this Russian offensive in the time available, it was an uphill task to build fortifications that were strong enough given the proximity to the Russian border and how heavily the area was bombarded in the weeks leading up to the attack.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by BBC News. This was a betrayal on the part of the existing Ukrainian leadership in the area. There appeared to be no mines and Russian forces simply walked across the border. There needs to be answers and accountability for how such a fiasco was allowed to happen.

Predictions