During the Battle for Huliaipole, a Battalion’s Command Was ‘Abducted,’ Says Its Territorial Defense Commander

Huliaipole battle exposed major command problems

According to ХВИЛЯ: In an interview, Dmytro Hlushchenko, commander of the 4th Battalion of the 108th Territorial Defense Brigade, detailed the severe conditions his unit encountered while fighting around Huliaipole, a town in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region that has been a front-line hot spot. He said the loss of Velyka Novosilka, which had been defended by the 110th Territorial Defense Brigade, proved to be a critical turning point because it let the enemy strike the flank of the 102nd Brigade. Hlushchenko noted that the 108th Brigade’s defensive line stretched from 20 to 50 kilometers, making it much harder to hold ground.

He also described the early stage of the fighting, when his battalion had only 130 infantry soldiers. After he reported the dangerous situation, he received an extra company of 25 troops. The enemy, however, threw four battalions into the fight - three mechanized and one motorized rifle - plus assault and sapper companies, sharply increasing the pressure on Ukrainian forces. In addition, enemy forces used 70 to 80 FPV drones against a single position every day, severely degrading the battalion’s combat effectiveness.

Headquarters interference and the aftermath

According to Hlushchenko, an especially serious problem arose when curators from various headquarters compressed all of the battalion’s radio channels into one frequency, crippling communication and control. On January 5, the battalion received an order to assemble a replacement rotation for inspection, and the next day its command element was taken to Zaporizhzhia. Hlushchenko then contacted military ombudswoman Olha Reshetylova, who advised him to call Oleh Shyriaiev, commander of the 225th Air Assault Regiment. Shyriaiev promised support and sent an infantry battalion, after which the command element was returned the same day.

The situation at the front, meanwhile, kept getting worse. Two days later, 15 troops voluntarily abandoned the 'Kholm' position, and six of them immediately went missing. Another ten infantrymen from the 4th Battalion were assigned to the 225th Regiment for 'joint training' without the necessary paperwork, and they also disappeared. Hlushchenko noted that his 12th Company held its positions for over 100 days and lost just one soldier - Ihor Darovskykh.

The State Bureau of Investigation has now opened criminal proceedings involving the 155th Brigade and the 225th Regiment. Hlushchenko expressed support for consolidating brigades and conducting an audit inside the Armed Forces of Ukraine, concluding:

“There is only our choice.”

His account underscores the extreme strain on Ukrainian troops and how breakdowns in command can compound battlefield losses. It also highlights the need for better coordination, clear accountability, and adequate resources for units fighting in intensive combat zones.

The ongoing conflict in the region has seen significant military engagements, similar to the recent events near Shakhove, where a massive Russian assault was repelled, resulting in the destruction of seven tanks and the elimination of 123 enemy soldiers. This highlights the intense pressure on Ukrainian forces and the critical need for effective command and communication in battle. For more details on this recent skirmish and its implications, see our coverage of the massive Russian offensive near Shakhove.