UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Apr. 29 — On Apr. 28, the Ministry of Defense reported about the cases of supply shortages in the 14th, 128th, 30th, and 108th Brigades. The Ministry claimed that those cases must not become “systemic.”
The Ministry also said Oleksander Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief, ordered inspections of the state of supplies for Ukrainian troops on front lines.
“Distorted reports on the combat situation will have direct negative consequences for the brigade’s officials,” the Ministry claimed.
Before, on Apr. 24, Ukraine’s General Staff appointed Taras Maksimov to the commander of the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade instead of Anatolii Lysetskyi, while Artem Bohomolov became the head of the 10th Army Corps, a formation that includes the 14th brigade, instead of Serhii Perets.
These changes followed social media posts by relatives of soldiers serving in the 14th Brigade, who said that troops on the front line in Kharkiv oblast weren’t receiving adequate supplies, including food and water.
How the supply shortage became public
“Brigade commanders don’t react. Soldiers faint from hunger,” Ivanna Poberezhniuk, a daughter of a former 14th Brigade soldier, stationed in the Kupiansk direction, wrote.
Anastasia Silchuk, the wife of a soldier from the 14th Brigade, also published a post criticizing logistical problems on the front line. She said the unit has held its positions since August 2025.
According to her, drone deliveries of food, water, and even critical medical supplies occur only every 10 to 15 days. She added that soldiers largely rely on rainwater, as each shipment provides only 1 to 2 liters (∼0.5 gallons).
In their posts, both Poberezhniuk and Silchuk added photos of exhausted soldiers of the 14th Brigade.
On Apr. 23, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said that the commander of the 14th Brigade had taken the situation under control, but noted that complicated logistics continue to cause supply shortages and delays in troop rotations.
“Such situations should not occur, but conditions on different sections of the front line can be extremely difficult,” the ministry said.
According to Poberezhniuk, the situation has somewhat improved following public attention. Over the past 24 hours, soldiers received four shipments of food. She also said that the command contacted soldiers’ relatives.
Investigation for lack of supplies on positions in the 14th Brigade
On Apr. 24, Ukraine’s General Staff said the previous command of the 14th Brigade had “concealed the real situation,” made logistical miscalculations, and lost “some” positions. It also confirmed problems with food supplies to at least one of the brigade’s positions.
A commission of Ukraine’s Ground Forces is currently investigating demoted officials of the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade over identified violations. The General Staff said the findings will inform their further management decisions, and documents might be transferred to law enforcement.
The statement added that the new command, Artem Bohomolov for the 10th Army Corps and Anatolii Lysetskyi for the 14th Brigade, is “taking steps to stabilize the situation and improve supplies to troops on the front line.”
A source from the military who spoke to Gwara’s journalists on condition of anonymity said Bohomolov had been effectively acting as corps commander since January 2026, as his predecessor, Serhii Perets, was unable to perform his duties due to health reasons.
Syrskyi has also instructed Mykhailo Drapatyi, who oversees the operational group that includes the 10th Army Corps, to inspect the provision of supplies to soldiers carrying out frontline missions.
What causes supply shortages
The General Staff spoke on Russian air attacks complicating logistical support for Ukrainian units near Kupiansk — including Moscow targeting crossings over the Oskil River. The military said Ukrainian forces are maintaining supply routes using boats and heavy drones.
It used to be easier to secure Ukrainian positions with supplies — soldiers could reach them by vehicles. In 2026, the constant threat of the Russian FPV drone attacks is forcing soldiers to walk 10-15 kilometers (6-9 miles) to reach their trenches, said Sergeant Serhii with callsign “Kutik.” He serves in the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
“When drones became a massive weapon, they started to disrupt logistics. Earlier, we used electronic warfare — now Russians have started to use fiber optic drones,” Kutik said. Electronic warfare can’t counter fiber-optic drones. The logistics were also complicated by Russia’s use of “mother drones” that carry small-ranged FPVs far from the zero line.
“Now, we face systemic attacks targeting logistics routes, depots, roads into towns, and evacuation roads,” Dmytro Zaporozhets, the spokesperson of 11th Army Corps, told The Wall Street Journal.
Another reason for supply shortages in the Ukrainian army was brought up by Serhii Sternenko, a Defense Ministry advisor. He said that command structure, in which units are reassigned between brigades, creates blurred responsibility: brigade commanders don’t feel fully responsible for “assigned” soldiers.
According to him, a battalion of the 30th Brigade was attached to the 14th Brigade near Kupiansk, while some soldiers of the 14th were reassigned to that same battalion. Ivanna Poberzhniuk, a daughter of a former 14th Brigade soldier, also said that the famished troops from the 14th Brigade were reassigned to the 30th.
Taras Chmut of the “Come Back Alive” foundation called this a broader structural problem, saying supply shortages and logistics issues are common consequences of fighting with reassigned units rather than with fully formed brigades.
Are supply shortages widespread in the Ukrainian army?
Ukraine’s military ombudsman’s office said it had been aware of the shortage of supplies for the positions on the left bank of the Oskil river and tried to resolve it without publicity. As Olga Reshetylova, the military ombudsman, put it, “such situations often result from delayed decisions on troop rotation or tactical changes,” adding that investigations are ongoing.
She also claimed that the issue is not widespread: “This is only the second complaint of a complete lack of logistics in nearly 1.5 years.”
On the other hand, MP Mariana Bezuhla claimed that the cases of famine in the Ukrainian military are systemic.
Bezuhla also added a screenshot from Threads, where the user Liubov Lebedyk shows supposed photos of her exhausted husband. According to Lebedyk, he is serving in the 108th Brigade and also faces provision shortages. The information about supply shortages in the 108th Brigade is confirmed by the Ministry of Defense.
At the same time, Bezuhla commented on a broader problem existing: prolonged deployments remain a serious concern, with soldiers staying on the frontline far longer than recommended. Reshetylova declined Gwara’s request for comment on the current situation involving the soldiers of the 14th Brigade.
Authors: Vika Mankovska, Nazar Hlamazda
Hi, this is Nazar, the co-author of the article. I have relatives in the army, so it was especially important to highlight a story of neglectful treatment of Ukrainian soldiers. I think, only public scrutiny, can help solve issues like these. Thank you for reading, and if you want to support our Kharkiv-based newsroom, consider buying us a coffee—or become a regular subscriber.
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