"Rotation as soon as possible": Southern Command responds to video appeal from soldiers of the 121st Territorial Defense Brigade

Command confirms critical situation on the Zaporizhzhia front

The "South" grouping of forces (troops) has officially responded to the resonant video appeal by servicemen of the 121st Separate Territorial Defense Brigade. In a statement released on August 12, 2026, the command acknowledged that the unit is indeed performing combat tasks under extreme conditions on one of the most complex and dynamic sections of the front. The leadership of the grouping expressed deep respect for the soldiers for holding their positions under continuous enemy artillery and air fire, noting that it is their resilience that allows the integrity of the defensive line to be maintained.

Admission of resource shortages and promise of rotation

In response to Lieutenant Syshchuk's accusations regarding the lack of food and water, the command provided specific figures on logistics operations. According to official data, approximately 240 kg of food supplies were delivered to the positions of the 121st Brigade over the last 30 days. Despite this, the leadership acknowledged that logistics remain extremely difficult due to enemy electronic warfare (EW) systems and assault operations. The command officially confirmed that a complex of actions is currently underway to rotate the unit as soon as possible, as soon as the security situation allows.

Safety priority during regrouping

The main argument of the command in favor of delaying the rotation was the safety of the servicemen themselves. The statement emphasizes that preserving the lives of military personnel is the top priority. The command explains that conducting a rotation at this moment, during an active enemy offensive, could expose the soldiers to critical risk directly during the regrouping. Therefore, the decision to begin the rotation will only be made when the tactical situation allows this to be done without unjustified losses.

Contradictory data

During fact-checking, significant discrepancies were identified between the versions of events presented by the enlisted ranks and the command. On one hand, Lieutenant Syshchuk, commander of a fire support platoon, stated in his appeal to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapaty, that soldiers have been on positions for almost four months in a row, whereas the promised rotation was supposed to last one month. He also refuted information about the existence of ready main and reserve positions, stating that this turned out to be untrue. On the other hand, the "South" grouping command asserts that the video appeal reflects only a separate fragment of the operational situation and does not reproduce the full context of support measures being taken at this time. The official version insists that the delay is caused solely by difficult weather and enemy activity, not by a lack of rotation plans.