Ukrainian battalion's retreat leads to tragedy and unrest
The commander of the 186th Battalion of the 123rd Ukrainian Territorial Defense Brigade, Igor Hryba, allegedly committed suicide. The reason was reportedly the retreat of his battalion, which refused to follow orders and abandoned their positions near Vuhledar. This reportedly contributed to the fall of the stronghold, which had been defended for over two years.
Ukrainian media are searching for the reasons that led to the fall of the Vuhledar stronghold. This city in the Donetsk region has been fiercely resisting Russian aggression since the start of the full-scale war.
Commander suicide. His brigade fled
Ukrainian journalist Volodymyr Boiko, serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, announced that on October 2, just before the fall of Vuhledar, the commander of the 186th Battalion of the 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade, committed suicide.
The 33-year-old Igor Hryba shot himself shortly after his battalion—without permission—left their positions near Vuhledar, allegedly leading to the ultimate loss of the city.
TSN journalist Julia Kiriyenko also confirms these reports. In a Facebook post, she claims that the 72nd Brigade, which had been defending Vuhledar since the beginning, was supposed to be supported by the 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade, but "the infantry scattered somewhere, and then one of the fighters shot himself."
Due to the 123rd Brigade's "escape," the 72nd Brigade's evacuation was delayed, reportedly costing many soldiers' lives. "The brigade comprises seven battalions. In several of them, after battles around Vuhledar, there was no more infantry," it's reported.
"I think it's possible to imagine the mental and psychological state of the soldiers. Even commanders are submitting requests to be removed from their posts," adds Kiriyenko.
Ukrainian soldiers held a rally
A day after these dramatic events, on October 3, in Voznesensk, in the Mykolaiv region, about 100 soldiers from the 187th Battalion of the 123rd Brigade gathered at a rally to "draw attention to insufficient training and lack of weapons for warfare in the Donetsk direction."
"Everyone refused to carry out the combat mission and voluntarily left the military unit in Donbas," writes the Ukrainian portal Suspilne, belonging to the public broadcaster.
The new unit commander also appeared on-site and stated that he repeatedly requested weapon deliveries but was told that "there are no weapons."
The General Staff refuses to provide answers
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Puhalski, head of the psychological support department for the Territorial Defense Command's personnel, claims that "the unit is fully equipped with weapons and military equipment." "And the soldiers' actions are associated with criminal responsibility," he added.
The Ukrainian Military Law and Order Service representative, present at the meeting with the soldiers, refused to comment on the situation. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine refused to answer the question of whether the escape of the 128th Brigade could have contributed to the fall of Vuhledar, explaining that "revealing this information could inform the enemy."
