Following the rapid fall of Siversk in northern Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian military command has dismissed the leaders of two brigades responsible for the city's defense, Ukrainska Pravda reports, citing three sources in the Defense Forces.
Colonel Oleksiy Konoval, commander of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade which held positions directly in Siversk, has been removed from his post. Colonel Volodymyr Poteshkin, commander of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade stationed south of the city, is currently receiving medical treatment and will likely be dismissed upon his return to service, according to UP's sources.
The dismissals stem from systematically false reporting by both brigade commanders, UP has learned. They reported maintaining positions in their areas of responsibility that had in fact been abandoned by personnel long before. "The lie came to light during the rapid loss of the entire city," UP reports. Russia announced the capture of Siversk on 12 December.
The 11th Army Corps, which had operational command over both the 54th and 10th brigades, trusted the brigades' reports and believed they reflected reality on the ground, according to UP's sources. Inspectors from the corps regularly visited the units but detected no problems or discrepancies between reports and the actual battlefield situation, as these were "constantly concealed," UP's interlocutors said.
The Eastern Grouping of Forces removed the 11th Corps and its commander, Brigadier General Serhiy Sirchenko, from managing the Siversk situation. A tactical group called "Soledar" was formed for this sector, headed by Brigadier General Denys Maistrenko, the former commander of the 54th Brigade who now leads the Desna training center. UP's sources who have worked with Maistrenko give positive assessments of his leadership.
Inspection commissions have been dispatched to both the 54th and 10th brigades. The Soledar tactical group also came under the oversight of Eastern Grouping commander Brigadier General Dmytro Bratishko.
UP reports that Bratishko was furious upon learning of Siversk's loss and demanded the Ukrainian flag be raised over the partially captured city by almost any means necessary. A flag was then delivered via FPV drones—which are currently in short supply—to operators from the 54th Brigade, who flew it on drones to the railway station building in Siversk. "All this was done to create a 'flag video' and please the Eastern Grouping commander," according to UP.
Russian forces captured Siversk by exploiting the dense fog that blanketed Donetsk Oblast in November and December 2025, UP's sources say. Starting around 20 November, the 54th Brigade began losing the capacity to destroy Russian forces in the numbers they were infiltrating the city. "For example, out of 15 occupiers, they managed to destroy 10, while the other 5 imperceptibly seeped deeper into the city and established positions," UP reports.
