Battalion Commander Filimonov: Cause of disaster in Pokrovsk direction is higher command

60 638150
Filimonov about newly created brigades

Brigades unprepared for combat are sent to defend areas of great responsibility, and as a result, they lose ground.

This was stated by the commander of the 108th separate battalion of the Da Vinci Wolves, Captain Serhii Filimonov, in an interview with NV, Censor.NET reports.

"As for the unrealistic tasks I mentioned, I was referring primarily to the newly created 'green' brigades, which are put on the line with great responsibility, and then they lose (positions - Ed.). And because of this, both the overall situation at the front and our unit, our brigade, suffer," he said.

Filimonov noted that the effectiveness of the newly created brigades is not determined by the date of creation.

"There are certain points by which we can evaluate an ineffective newly created brigade. An ineffective newly created brigade is formed from reserve officers, formed from officers who have not performed well in their previous combat positions. Unfortunately, the 155th Brigade is not an isolated case. There are almost 10 such brigades. And these are the ones I met at the front, who were standing next to each other. There are actually a lot of them," the commander explained.

According to Filimonov, the newly created brigades have no understanding of the organization of combat operations at all, or they have only a few combat commanders who can at least somehow manage the battle.

"And, in fact, these are brigades of three to five thousand people, among whom there are no artillerymen, airborne gunners, tankers, mechanics. They are all infantry - from clerks to sappers and scouts. That is, they are not even trained in their speciality.

If we're talking about replacement at the front and manning brigades. All the same, the same people, only unprepared, unemployed, unskilled, and low-motivated, will be manning the old brigades that will be there. They will not replace the old brigade that will go on rotation, no one will go on rotation," he added.

Filimonov noted that the newly created brigades still become part of the old brigades, or rather, an ineffective part.

"I'm sorry, it may be wrong to say this, but I'll say it like it is. They become meat after the fact," he said.

The commander also noted that Ukraine still has a lot of strength.

"And for this, there is definitely no need to reduce the conscription age to 18. If we create conditions in the army where you can fight, be effective, and train well, I guarantee you that many boys aged 18, 19, 20, 21 will go to the frontline themselves. ...

We have people, a lot of people, equipment, a lot of equipment, weapons, a lot of weapons. We (I mean the high command) need to create a proper analytical department that can properly describe the problem. The problem of distribution, training, and management of people," he added.

Situation in the 155th Brigade

As a reminder, on 1 January 2025, Censor.NET editor-in-chief Yurii Butusov outlined several facts about the circumstances of the formation and functioning of the 155th Mechanized Brigade "Anna Kyivska", which entered the battle near Pokrovsk and suffered significant losses there.

According to him, the 155th Brigade faced several problems: 1,700 soldiers left the brigade without permission before the first battle, the brigade commander was fired immediately after the battle, and one of the brigade's leaders died of a heart attack.

Butusov conducted a lengthy investigation to find out what exactly led to the significant losses among the brigade's personnel and equipment and the massive CBRN attack.

In October, the 155th Brigade left for training in France. 1924 servicemen were sent there, of whom only 51 had more than a year of military service, 459 had up to a year of experience, and the majority, 1414, had just enlisted and served for less than 2 months, about 150 were sent to France even without undergoing the BZVP. About 50 military brigades fled to France.

The editor-in-chief of Censor.NET also reports that the brigade has not been provided with the necessary weapons. In particular, the brigade did not receive any drones from the state to perform combat missions. Also, according to Butusov, there were no electronic warfare equipment. The brigade was supplied by volunteers.

In addition, all the 120 mm mortar shells produced by the Ministry of Strategic Industries that were issued to the brigade were defective.

On 2 January, it became known that the State Bureau of Investigation had launched an investigation into mass CWS in the 155th Anna Kyiv Brigade following media reports. In turn, the French Ministry of Defence did not comment on the information that the 155th Anna Kyiv Brigade, trained by the French armed forces, was the subject of an investigation in Ukraine.

Also in early January, the results of a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff regarding the 155th Brigade "Anna Kyivska" were announced.

On 5 January, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi promised to increase the capabilities of the 155th Brigade and acknowledged that there were problems that needed to be addressed.

Censor.NET editor-in-chief Yuriy Butusov said that the formation of new brigades without their support is a gross mistake that is costly for the country.

Author: Екатерина Людвик