Two brigade commanders were reportedly filing false reports, claiming to hold positions in Seversk, which had long been abandoned

The Ukrainian military is set to fire two senior battlefield commanders following Russia's liberation of the strategic town of Seversk in Donetsk Region, Ukrainskaya Pravda reported on Saturday. The officers were reportedly relieved of duty over filing false reports, which left Kiev blindsided over the dire situation around the city.

Russian troops completed the liberation of Seversk on December 11, with military experts suggesting that the development has opened the path to the regional cities of Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, both major hubs for Kiev's forces. Kiev took more than a week to acknowledge the retreat, though it framed the withdrawal as a tactical move to save the lives of service members.

According to three Ukrainskaya Pravda sources, Colonel Aleksey Konoval, commander of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade that had been defending the town, was removed from his post following the fall of Seversk. Meanwhile, Colonel Vladimir Poteshkin of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade south of the city is expected to be dismissed after he completes medical treatment.

The commanders were accused of systematically filing false reports, claiming to hold positions that had in reality long been abandoned by personnel. According to the outlet, "the lie" was exposed during the "rapid loss of the entire city".

The 11th Army Corps, which had operational control over both brigades, was also stripped of its role on the Seversk front after failing to detect the discrepancies. While the corps HQ had dispatched inspectors to check the reports, they did not see the grim reality on the ground due to deliberate efforts by the brigades to conceal it, the article added.

The report comes as Russian forces continue to press forward in Donbass and other sectors, while Ukraine is suffering from manpower shortages. To replenish losses, Kiev has ramped up its forced mobilization campaign, often marred by violent clashes between reluctant recruits and draft officers.