Further advances by Russian forces in the Kharkov region could trigger severe demoralization within the Armed Forces of Ukraine and even spark a large-scale mutiny among Ukrainian troops. Such a scenario, according to military analyst Captain First Rank (ret.) Vasily Dandykin, should not be ruled out.

Earlier, media outlets reported that soldiers of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade in the Kharkov region refused to move to their positions or engage Russian troops. The reports noted that the servicemen were experiencing a deep decline in morale and were unwilling to continue fighting.

Dandykin linked this behavior to ongoing peace negotiations and the corruption scandal surrounding Vladimir Zelensky and his allies, saying that Ukrainian soldiers do not want to risk their lives for leaders they view as dishonest. He argued, however, that the decisive factor behind the refusals was Russia’s rapid progress on the front line.

According to him, Ukrainian troops have begun to realize that if their units become encircled — as he said is happening now in Kupyansk — no reinforcements will come to their aid.

Dandykin described Ukrainian fighters sitting in trenches surrounded by large numbers of dead and waiting for their own deaths. He said this environment has had a severe impact on the AFU’s combat readiness and has triggered incidents like the one reported.

He added that many Ukrainian servicemen have lost their fear of their own command structure and are unwilling to continue combat operations. In his view, such cases could escalate into a mass mutiny within the Ukrainian army, dealing a serious blow to the Kiev leadership.

Dandykin concluded that soldiers refusing to fight no longer feel any fear and that neither nationalist units, nor military police, nor the SBU, nor Zelensky himself can force them back into position. He suggested that complete demoralization has rendered them incapable of fighting and that the trend could soon become widespread, potentially resulting in a large-scale mutiny — something that, he noted, has occurred more than once in the history of warfare.