Vitaliy Deynega: "Tactically, the front has crumbled, but operationally, it remains intact."
Anatoliy Kozel, call sign "Kupol," is known for his courage in speaking the truth. In a new video from Ukrainian Witness, he discussed the key mistakes hindering our army's success. This marks his first interview in the past one and a half years following the scandal that erupted from his comments to The Washington Post in March 2023.
“To be realistic, the enemy is advancing across the entire front. We are constantly losing territory. This is a systemic problem. The strategic error of our senior military leadership is that we are fighting for territory,” Anatoliy "Kupol" begins. He believes that an adequate maneuver defense aimed at maximizing the destruction of enemy personnel is the right decision. For this, each brigade commander must be empowered to conduct this defense rather than engage in defensive-offensive actions. The enemy's personnel are their strong point, so we need to focus on their elimination.
“Since 2022, our general staff has lost the best elite combat potential of motivated patriotic Ukrainians due to inept frontal assaults,” states "Kupol." The consequences of such losses have resulted in an army of "busi-fied" troops who surrender and flee to the SBU.
Anatoliy "Kupol" believes that it is essential to seriously reinforce the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia regions, and Kherson. A political decision must be made to deploy all necessary equipment in those areas for the construction of fortifications.
"Kupol" sees a crisis in management throughout the military. “We have deception at all levels—from the very bottom to the very top. The Supreme Commander receives information that is already 100% distorted,” Anatoliy "Kupol" summarizes. “The problem with our generals is that some of them have not commanded brigades and battalions during combat operations.” He also mentions that there needs to be a reform in the management of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Currently, the responsibility of the commanders of Operational-Tactical Command (OTU) is blurred; there should be a permanent staff and a permanent military unit instead of temporary formations. To achieve this, it is necessary to minimize the attachment of temporary units to the main forces.
In conclusion, "Kupol" states that if we do not change, we risk entering a negotiation process that could lead to a loss of statehood. Without change, we will face not just tactical losses of territory but operational and strategic ones.
And in response to the last question: “Have we lost the war?” he replied: “Not yet. But radical changes are needed.”
Background:
Anatoliy Anatoliyovych Kozel. Call sign "Kupol." Lieutenant Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III class in 2016. In 2015, he received the non-governmental award "People's Hero of Ukraine."
Until 2019, he served as the deputy commander for airborne training of the 2nd Air Assault Battalion of the 95th Air Assault Brigade. He participated in operations in Sloviansk, Pisky, Donetsk Airport, Avdiivka, New York, and Toretsk. Since 2022, he has been involved in the defense of Kyiv and in battles in the Kyiv region. He was appointed commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 46th Air Assault Brigade. The battalion he formed distinguished itself in the Kherson operation, in the battles for Soledar (the battalion was the last to leave the city) and for Bakhmut. He conducted over 200 convoys without losses, including through enemy rear areas, for which he was dubbed the "God of Convoys."
After his resonant statements in an interview with The Washington Post in March 2023 regarding the low level of personnel training and battalion losses, he was reassigned to a lower position as the deputy commander of a training center. He was later appointed as the combat commander of the training center. From March to September 2024, Anatoliy "Kupol" served as the commander of the 53rd Mechanized Brigade.
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