Quake in the Ukrainian army after the loss of Siverskul: dismissed commanders, false reports and decisions that led to disaster
The sudden loss of the city of Siversk, in the north of the Donetsk region, triggered the first chain of consequences among the Ukrainian military leadership. The commander of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade, colonel Oleksi Konoval, has already been dismissed, and the commander of the 10th Mountain Hunter Brigade, colonel Volodimir Poteshkin, would be released from his position after returning from the hospital, according to Defense Forces sources, quoted by Ukrainska Pravda.
Russian troops managed to occupy Siversk taking advantage of the fog/FOTO:X
The 54th Brigade provided the defense just inside the town of Siversk, while the 10th Brigade was deployed south of the town. Three sources in the defense structures claim that the dismissal decisions are related to false reports submitted by the management of the two units.
Specifically, commanders reportedly reported the existence of defensive positions in their sectors of responsibility, although in reality those positions had long been abandoned. The truth came out when the city was almost completely lost, and Russia officially announced the capture of Siverskul on December 12.
The 11th Army Corps, under whose command the two brigades were, would have had full confidence in the reports received, considering them to be in line with the situation on the ground. Although inspection teams of the corps periodically traveled to the units, discrepancies between the reports and the reality on the battlefield were not detected, the sources claimed, as the problems were constantly hidden.
Following the events, the “East” force group withdrew the 11th Corps and its commander, Brigadier General Serhii Sircenko, from managing the situation in Siversk. A new tactical group, “Soledar”, was established in the area, led by Brigadier General Denis Maistrenko, former commander of the 54th Brigade and current head of the “Desna” training center. Military personnel who worked with him describe him as an effective commander and well-regarded among the troops.
At the same time, the verification commissions were sent to the 54th and 10th Brigades, and the coordination of the “Soledar” tactical group was directly taken over by the commander of the “East” group, Brigadier General Dmitro Bratișko.
Ukrainska Pravda sources say that Bratislava reacted extremely harshly to the news of the loss of the city and would have demanded, almost at any cost, that the Ukrainian flag be raised in an area of Siversku. In this context, a flag was flown by drones by the operators of the 54th Brigade and placed on the railway station building – a symbolic gesture meant to demonstrate control over the city, although the actual situation on the ground was much more serious.
According to the same sources, Russian troops were able to occupy Siversk by taking advantage of the dense fog that covered the Donetsk region in November and December 2025. Starting in the second half of November, the 54th Brigade would have started to lose its ability to effectively neutralize the Russian forces infiltrating the city. Out of about 15 Russian soldiers entering the area, only 10 were eliminated, while the rest managed to sneak in unnoticed and consolidate inside the town.
