Ukraine Removes Army Commander After Soldiers Were Very Thin

Apr 24, 2026, 16:05
A2

Ukraine Removes Army Commander After Soldiers Were Very Thin

Introduction

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence removed the commander of a brigade. The commander did not give enough food and water to his soldiers. Pictures showed the soldiers were very thin.

Main Body

A woman named Anastasiia Silchuk posted pictures of three soldiers. The soldiers were very thin. Their ribs showed. The army said the commander did not tell the truth about the situation. The army removed him. The soldiers were near the Oskil River. They defended a small area. Food and medicine came only by drone. The soldiers did not get food for 17 days. They drank rain and snow. One soldier lost weight from 80 kg to 50 kg. The brigade said it was hard to bring supplies. Russian soldiers attacked the drones and boats. Ukraine now uses robots to bring food and take away hurt soldiers. Russian soldiers destroyed bridges to stop supplies. After the pictures, a new commander helped. He talked to the soldiers. He said he would fix the problem. Food came. The army started an investigation. The new commander promised to send the soldiers away for rest when the weather was good.

Conclusion

The army is now looking into the problem. They changed the commander. They are trying to bring food and help the soldiers. It is still hard to supply soldiers in dangerous areas.

Vocabulary Learning

commander (n.)
leader / a person who is in charge of a group of soldiers指揮官
Example:The army removed the commander because he did not give food to his soldiers.
food (n.)
things you eat to stay alive食物
Example:The soldiers did not get food for 17 days.
soldiers (n.)
fighters / people who serve in an army士兵
Example:The soldiers were very thin because they did not get enough food.
thin (adj.)
not fat / having little fat on the body瘦的
Example:Pictures showed the soldiers were very thin.
water (n.)
liquid you drink水
Example:The commander did not give enough food and water to his soldiers.

Sentence Learning

The commander did not give enough food and water to his soldiers.
Basic Connector: The word "and" connects two items (food and water) to show they are both missing.「和」這個連接詞連接兩個項目（食物和水），表示兩者都缺乏。
The soldiers did not get food for 17 days.
Time Marker: "For 17 days" tells how long the soldiers did not get food.「17天」表示士兵沒有得到食物的持續時間。
After the pictures, a new commander helped.
Time Marker: "After the pictures" shows when the new commander helped.「在照片之後」表示新指揮官提供幫助的時間點。
The army is now looking into the problem.
Time Marker: "Now" tells the current action of the army.「現在」表示軍隊當前的行動。
It is still hard to supply soldiers in dangerous areas.
Prepositional Phrase: "In dangerous areas" tells where it is hard to supply soldiers.「在危險區域」說明難以補給士兵的地點。
B2

Ukraine Dismisses Brigade Commander After Reports of Malnourished Soldiers on Frontline

Introduction

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has dismissed the commander of a mechanised brigade after photos showed severely malnourished soldiers who had been on the frontline near Kupiansk for a long time without enough food and water.

Main Body

The dismissal occurred after Anastasiia Silchuk, the spouse of a soldier, posted photos on social media showing three servicemen with visible weight loss and protruding ribs. The General Staff announced the removal of the brigade's commander, claiming he failed to report the actual conditions and lost several positions. The commander was also accused of making mistakes in supply provision. According to relatives, the soldiers had been defending a shrinking area on the left bank of the Oskil River since August 25. Supplies of food and medicine were delivered only by drone because of the closeness to enemy lines. Silchuk reported that the soldiers' weight had dropped from about 80–90 kg to around 50 kg. On one occasion, no food arrived for 17 days, forcing the troops to drink rainwater and melted snow. Another relative, Ivanna Poberezhnyuk, stated that soldiers were losing consciousness from hunger. The brigade acknowledged logistical difficulties, noting that Russian forces focused on targeting supply deliveries, intercepting drones and boats. Since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, the use of drones for surveillance and logistics has expanded. Ukraine has increasingly used unmanned ground robots to transport supplies and evacuate wounded soldiers in exposed areas. In the Kupiansk sector, Russian forces destroyed bridges across the Oskil River to isolate Ukrainian units. After the public disclosure, Silchuk reported that conditions had improved under a new commander, who contacted the soldiers and said the situation was being addressed. The General Staff confirmed that a fresh food shipment had been delivered and an investigation had been launched. The new brigade commander, Colonel Taras Maximov, held an online call with the troops, promising to arrange rotation as soon as weather permitted. One soldier requested extraction, stating that rotation and medical treatment were needed.

Conclusion

The incident has led to an official investigation and a change in command. Efforts are now being made to improve supply logistics and evacuate the affected soldiers. However, the wider challenge of keeping troops supplied in contested areas, where Russian forces actively block logistics, remains an ongoing problem.

Vocabulary Learning

contested (adj.)
disputed or fought over有爭議的；爭奪中的
Example:Keeping troops supplied in contested areas remains an ongoing problem.
intercepting (v.)
to stop or catch something in transit攔截
Example:Russian forces focused on targeting supply deliveries, intercepting drones and boats.
logistical (adj.)
relating to the organization of supplies and transport後勤的
Example:The brigade acknowledged logistical difficulties in delivering supplies.
malnourished (adj.)
suffering from poor nutrition營養不良的
Example:Photos showed severely malnourished soldiers on the frontline.
protruding (adj.)
sticking out突出的
Example:The soldiers had protruding ribs due to weight loss.

Sentence Learning

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has dismissed the commander of a mechanised brigade after photos showed severely malnourished soldiers who had been on the frontline near Kupiansk for a long time without enough food and water.
Relative Clause The clause 'who had been on the frontline...' adds extra information about the soldiers, making the description more detailed and connected.關係從句 'who had been on the frontline...' 這個從句補充了士兵的額外資訊，使描述更詳細且連貫。
The commander was also accused of making mistakes in supply provision.
Passive Voice The passive form 'was accused' shifts focus from the accuser to the commander, which is common in formal reporting.被動語態 被動形式 'was accused' 將焦點從指控者轉移到指揮官身上，這在正式報導中很常見。
Supplies of food and medicine were delivered only by drone because of the closeness to enemy lines.
Passive Voice and Cause 'were delivered' is passive, and 'because of' explains the reason for using drones, showing cause-effect.被動語態 和 原因 'were delivered' 是被動語態，'because of' 解釋了使用無人機的原因，顯示因果關係。
After the public disclosure, Silchuk reported that conditions had improved under a new commander, who contacted the soldiers and said the situation was being addressed.
Relative Clause and Passive Voice 'who contacted' gives more info about the commander; 'was being addressed' is passive continuous, showing ongoing action.關係從句 和 被動語態 'who contacted' 補充指揮官的資訊；'was being addressed' 是被動進行式，表示正在進行的動作。
However, the wider challenge of keeping troops supplied in contested areas, where Russian forces actively block logistics, remains an ongoing problem.
Contrast and Relative Clause 'However' introduces a contrast to previous improvements; 'where Russian forces...' is a relative clause specifying the areas.對比 和 關係從句 'However' 引出與之前改善情況的對比；'where Russian forces...' 是關係從句，具體說明這些地區。
C2

Ukraine Dismisses Brigade Commander After Reports of Malnourished Soldiers on Frontline

Introduction

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has removed the commander of a mechanised brigade following the publication of images depicting severely malnourished soldiers who had been stationed on the frontline near Kupiansk for an extended period without adequate food and water supplies.

Main Body

The dismissal occurred after Anastasiia Silchuk, the spouse of a soldier in the 14th Separate Mechanised Brigade, posted photographs on social media showing three servicemen with visible weight loss, protruding ribs, and unshaven appearance. The General Staff subsequently announced the removal of the brigade's commander, citing a failure to disclose the actual conditions and the loss of several positions. The commander was accused of miscalculations regarding supply provision. According to relatives, the soldiers had been defending a gradually diminishing area of control on the left bank of the Oskil River since August 25. Supplies of food and medicine were delivered exclusively by drone due to the proximity to enemy lines. Silchuk reported that the soldiers' weight had decreased from approximately 80–90 kg to around 50 kg. On one occasion, no food arrived for 17 days, forcing the troops to consume rainwater and melted snow. Another relative, Ivanna Poberezhnyuk, stated that soldiers were losing consciousness from hunger. The brigade acknowledged logistical difficulties, noting that Russian forces prioritized targeting supply deliveries, intercepting drones and boats. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the use of drones for surveillance and logistics has expanded. Ukraine has increasingly employed unmanned ground robots to transport supplies and evacuate wounded personnel in exposed areas. In the Kupiansk sector, Russian forces destroyed bridges across the Oskil River to isolate Ukrainian units. Following the public disclosure, Silchuk reported that conditions had improved under a new commander, who contacted the soldiers and stated that the situation was being addressed. The General Staff confirmed that a fresh food shipment had been delivered and that an investigation had been launched. The new brigade commander, Colonel Taras Maximov, held an online call with the troops, promising to arrange rotation as soon as weather conditions permitted. One soldier requested extraction, stating that rotation and medical treatment were needed.

Conclusion

The incident has prompted an official investigation and a change in command, with efforts underway to improve supply logistics and evacuate the affected soldiers. The broader challenges of sustaining troops in contested areas, where Russian forces actively interdict logistics, remain a persistent operational issue.

Vocabulary Learning

contested (adj.)
disputed or fought over有爭議的；爭奪中的
Example:Sustaining troops in contested areas remains a persistent operational issue.
extraction (n.)
the action of removing someone from a dangerous situation撤離；營救
Example:One soldier requested extraction, stating that rotation and medical treatment were needed.
interdict (v.)
to intercept or prevent the movement of supplies攔截；阻斷
Example:Russian forces actively interdict logistics in contested areas.
malnourished (adj.)
suffering from poor nutrition營養不良的
Example:The images depicted severely malnourished soldiers on the frontline.
miscalculations (n.)
errors in judgment or calculation誤算；判斷錯誤
Example:The commander was accused of miscalculations regarding supply provision.

Sentence Learning

Ukraine''s Ministry of Defence has removed the commander of a mechanised brigade following the publication of images depicting severely malnourished soldiers who had been stationed on the frontline near Kupiansk for an extended period without adequate food and water supplies.
Reduced Relative Clause & Past Perfect Passive: The sentence uses a present participle phrase 'depicting severely malnourished soldiers' as a reduced relative clause modifying 'images', and a full relative clause 'who had been stationed...' in past perfect passive to indicate prior duration. The structure combines nominalization ('the publication of images') with multiple embedded clauses.句子使用現在分詞短語 'depicting severely malnourished soldiers' 作為縮減關係從句修飾 'images'，以及完整關係從句 'who had been stationed...' 以過去完成被動語態表示先前的持續時間。結構結合了名詞化 ('the publication of images') 與多個嵌入從句。
The General Staff subsequently announced the removal of the brigade''s commander, citing a failure to disclose the actual conditions and the loss of several positions.
Non-finite Participle Clause: The sentence employs a non-finite participle clause 'citing a failure...' which provides the reason for the announcement. This clause itself contains nominalization ('failure to disclose') and a parallel structure ('and the loss of several positions'). The main clause uses active voice with nominalization ('the removal').句子使用了非限定分詞從句 'citing a failure...' 來說明公告的原因。該從句本身包含名詞化 ('failure to disclose') 和平行結構 ('and the loss of several positions')。主句使用主動語態，但 'the removal' 是名詞化。
On one occasion, no food arrived for 17 days, forcing the troops to consume rainwater and melted snow.
Resultative Participle Clause: The sentence uses a present participle clause 'forcing the troops to consume rainwater and melted snow' to express the result of the preceding event. The main clause is a simple past tense statement, and the participle clause adds a consequential action.句子使用現在分詞從句 'forcing the troops to consume rainwater and melted snow' 來表達前一事件的結果。主句是簡單過去時陳述，分詞從句添加了後果行動。
The new brigade commander, Colonel Taras Maximov, held an online call with the troops, promising to arrange rotation as soon as weather conditions permitted.
Appositive & Participle Phrase & Temporal Clause: The sentence features an appositive phrase 'Colonel Taras Maximov' renaming the subject, followed by a participle phrase 'promising to arrange rotation' and a temporal clause 'as soon as weather conditions permitted' using the past tense for a future-in-past condition. The structure demonstrates multiple levels of embedding.句子包含同位語短語 'Colonel Taras Maximov' 重新命名主語，接著是分詞短語 'promising to arrange rotation' 和時間從句 'as soon as weather conditions permitted'，使用過去時表示過去將來條件。結構展示了多層嵌入。
The broader challenges of sustaining troops in contested areas, where Russian forces actively interdict logistics, remain a persistent operational issue.
Nominalization & Relative Clause: The sentence uses nominalization 'the broader challenges of sustaining troops' as the subject, and a non-restrictive relative clause 'where Russian forces actively interdict logistics' to provide additional information. The verb 'remain' is a linking verb, and the predicate 'a persistent operational issue' is a noun phrase. High lexical density with abstract nouns.句子使用名詞化 'the broader challenges of sustaining troops' 作為主語，以及非限制性關係從句 'where Russian forces actively interdict logistics' 提供額外信息。動詞 'remain' 是連繫動詞，謂語 'a persistent operational issue' 是名詞短語。詞彙密度高，包含抽象名詞。