“The Savior of Mykolaiv” or a Heroic Image? Mayor’s Adviser Questions General Marchenko’s Role

Mykolaiv Mayor’s freelance adviser Hennadii Zadyrko publicly criticized the image of Major General Dmytro Marchenko, who is often called the “savior of Mykolaiv.” On his Facebook page, he questioned the extent of the general’s personal role in defending the city at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. In the adviser’s view, the excessive attention given to Marchenko sidelines the contributions of the military personnel who directly held back the occupiers’ advance.

At the same time, Hennadii Zadyrko does not deny the general’s involvement in organizing the defense. He acknowledges that Dmytro Marchenko helped establish communication and information sharing between military units. However, he questions claims that the general personally commanded all the military units that defended Mykolaiv.

Who, in Zadyrko’s view, actually stopped the Russian advance

Recounting events from February to April 2022, the adviser emphasized the contributions of service members and civilians who took a direct part in defending the city.

He gave particular attention to the following participants in the resistance:

• The 406th Separate Artillery Brigade, commanded by Andrii Shubin. According to Zadyrko, artillery strikes on Russian columns and on the gathering and deployment points of the occupying forces were among the decisive factors in stopping the advance. Ukrainian artillery crews, however, were operating with a severe shortage of ammunition.

• Infantry units that directly held off enemy tanks and other armored vehicles. The adviser noted that Ukrainian fighters often had to face a much better-equipped adversary while armed with outdated Soviet grenade launchers.

• Local farmers and representatives of local authorities who provided the military with intelligence. According to Zadyrko, they risked their lives to inform the defenders about the movements of Russian columns and the locations of enemy units.

The adviser believes that these people, along with the commanders of combat units, deserve particular recognition in accounts of Mykolaiv’s defense.

The first days of the invasion: shelling, panic, and the creation of a defense committee

Recounting the beginning of the full-scale war, Hennadii Zadyrko described the situation in Mykolaiv: Russian forces were approaching the city, shelling was ongoing, and panic was spreading among civilians.

In these circumstances, he praised the decision by Mykolaiv Regional Administration head Vitalii Kim and Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych to remain in the city.

According to the adviser, a kind of defense committee was formed at the regional administration in the first days of the invasion. Representatives of the regional authorities, local government, and military unit commanders were involved in its work.

Another issue raised by Zadyrko concerns Dmytro Marchenko’s arrival in Mykolaiv and the scope of his authority.

According to the adviser, the general arrived in the city on February 25, 2022. Zadyrko assumes this was on the instructions of then-Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

At the same time, he says he is unaware of any written documents confirming the order, or of any minutes from meetings of the defense committee. This does not mean that such documents do not exist, only that, according to the adviser, he has not seen them.

It is worth noting that earlier, on December 30, 2022, Vitalii Kim claimed in an interview that Marchenko had arrived with a combat order from Zaluzhnyi concerning the defense of Mykolaiv. Kim also clarified that the overall command of the defense was exercised by the “South” Operational Command. The document itself was not published in that interview.

“The information waves are orchestrated”: adviser alleges a possible campaign to portray the general as a hero

Hennadii Zadyrko says his conclusions are based, in part, on conversations with people who directly took part in the defense of Mykolaiv from February to April 2022.

He said that after being wounded, receiving disability status, and leaving the Armed Forces of Ukraine, he became involved in volunteer work in the veterans’ community.

The adviser also drew attention to regular social media posts about Dmytro Marchenko. In his view, waves of approving posts about the general may be organized.

In his post, Hennadii Zadyrko openly said he suspected that the image of the general as the city’s chief savior was being artificially promoted.

“From time to time, I see Facebook reminders about the “savior of Mykolaiv”—General Marchenko. The information waves are clearly orchestrated and generously bolstered by comments from bots.”

In addition to Facebook posts, Zadyrko mentioned media coverage and billboards featuring the general that appeared in Mykolaiv.

In the adviser’s view, this public activity may have been connected to Dmytro Marchenko’s possible political ambitions.

However, Zadyrko did not present any specific evidence in the post to support the existence of a coordinated information campaign, the use of bots, or a link between these posts and the general’s political plans. These are his personal assessments and assumptions.

A comparison with the legend of the 28 Panfilov Guardsmen

In criticizing the way Marchenko’s public image was being shaped, the adviser drew a historical parallel with the legend of the 28 Panfilov Guardsmen.

In his view, it is important for society to prevent real events of the war from gradually being replaced by heroic tales about individuals, while the contributions of many combatants remain insufficiently covered.

Hennadii Zadyrko said his position was motivated by a desire to preserve an accurate history of the city’s defense and prevent possible exaggerations from being used to build a political career.

“As a veteran, journalist, and historian, I believe it is essential to call things by their proper names. The truth must not become another stepping stone in the political career of someone about whom there are many questions.”

The adviser named the soldiers, sergeants, officers, and commanders of combat units who organized armed resistance to the Russian occupiers and prevented them from capturing the city as the true heroes of Mykolaiv’s defense.

It will be recalled that Major General Dmytro Marchenko left the Armed Forces of Ukraine in November 2024.

We wrote earlier:

• Awards for the defense of the city presented again in Mykolaiv
• “There will be no comments for the time being, until certain results are achieved,” Kim teased
• “The Russians may resume their advance on Mykolaiv and try to encircle it,” General Marchenko says
• Mykolaiv on the brink of a new attack: are we ready to face the enemy again?
• Did chance save Mykolaiv? Naiev says how intelligence found the Russians’ plans online
• “We didn’t flee; we were writing blogs”: Sienkevych calls rumors that he fled Mykolaiv “complete nonsense”