The officers who tried to defend Debaltsevo against Russian and Russian-backed separatist forces for six months have written a letter to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko which calls for the resignation of the Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Viktor Muzhenko.

Censor.net reports:

“For over six months of the Debaltseve salient, the command and headquarters of sector C, ATO, and Joint Staff showed total incompetence in matters of tactics, operational management, and planning of military operations,” the letter reads. “Their visits to the front line were sporadic and largely ‘theatrical.’ None of the representatives of the command or headquarters showed up at any checkpoint along the Debaltseve salient, though checkpoints are spots from which advantages and disadvantages of both armies can be visually assessed,” the message reads… “Not surprisingly, given total inactivity of the sector’s command, two strong points were cut off from the main forces without instructions and understanding of perspectives on Feb. 15. Until Feb. 17 afternoon, they did not receive assistance in unblocking or replenishment of ammunition, nor an order to break through. So they made a decision and surrendered their arms.”

The officers also stress that the sector’s command did not make a single attempt to timely replenish decreasing human resources and arms during the Debaltseve defense. “Current condition of the Joint Staff and satellite staffs leads to senseless losses in personnel and equipment, as well and subsequent occupation of the Ukrainian territory by the enemy. In addition, mistrust to their own command significantly reduces morale and resistance of the units. The problem cannot be solved by changing just one person. All command and those authorized to make decisions should be replaced with commanders who are initiative, who have positive experience of commanding units in real fighting conditions, who are trusted and respected in their brigades, units, and detachments,” the officers who addressed the president believe.

This is not the first time we’ve seen tensions in the ranks of the Ukrainian military over what happened at Debaltsevo, and Donetsk Airport before that. The morning that Ukraine’s forces withdrew from Debaltsevo, President Poroshenko said that he ordered an organized retreat. Soldiers filmed on the road leaving Debaltsevo told reports that they were not ordered to withdraw, but made the decision themselves because of the total lack of support from military command. They also describe a frantic, dangerous, and chaotic retreat that left many Ukrainian soldiers dead, wounded, or missing. In the wake of the battle, official numbers of casualties in the battle started out significantly smaller than anecdotal reports from soldiers engaged in the battle. The official numbers have risen but remain vague. Meanwhile, the Red Cross, Russian-backed fighters, and international journalists continue to find bodies of Ukrainian soldiers lost in the battles for Debaltsevo and Donetsk Airport: