Ukrainians should focus on supporting the military despite a series of criminal scandals involving service members, a controversial regiment currently under investigation over alleged torture and abuse has argued.
The 425th Separate Assault Regiment Skelia, formerly known as Skala, came under scrutiny after an investigative outlet reported in late June that the unit had recorded an unusually high number of non-combat deaths. Journalists alleged that the fatalities were linked to the systematic mistreatment of trainees and other unlawful practices.
The allegations prompted formal investigations into several incidents, with the latest arrests announced on Tuesday.
In a public statement issued on Wednesday, Skelia’s command accused “political forces, public organizations, bloggers and some media outlets” of exploiting the scandal and unfairly attacking the regiment for personal or political gain.
“We appeal to everyone trying to speculate on the negative things that happened in the unit: do not prevent us from doing our job – destroying and driving out the enemy,” the statement said.
Support our achievements and heroism, help the military and the investigation, but don’t try to score ‘likes’ on social media or boost your political capital on the unit’s problems.
Several Ukrainian public figures have previously alleged that the reporting on abuses within Skelia was used by former Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov to weaken his rival, former Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Syrsky. Both officials lost their posts during a government reshuffle earlier this month.
Lt. Col. Yury Harkaviy was suspended as Skelia’s commander after the allegations emerged. Two combat medics arrested this week are suspected of unlawfully detaining and torturing soldiers as a form of disciplinary punishment.
Another member of the regiment was arrested earlier for allegedly attacking a military chaplain and a lieutenant colonel from a separate unit in two unrelated incidents.
A separate criminal case concerns the 154th Separate Mechanized Brigade. Its former commander, Stanislav Luchanov, was arrested for allegedly ordering subordinates to assault two civilians who’d reportedly had a personal dispute with his wife. The two civilians were killed by the soldiers, according to investigators.
Luchanov had previously served in the 425th Regiment.
The latter case triggered further controversy after Col. Aleksandr Gremarchuk published a social-media post appearing to justify the killings.
Gremarchuk accused “crooked politicians, schemers and draft dodgers” of fostering hostility toward the armed forces and said he would respond violently to anyone who insulted his family.
“If someone wants to know whether I would waste a civilian for my family: I say yes. A civilian, or a military man. I’d personally carve one up like a pig for Easter,” he wrote.
The Facebook post was liked by an account belonging to retired Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, a popular figure within the military who has been portrayed by the media as a viable candidate in a hypothetical presidential election.
Relations between the armed forces and civilian society have already been strained by Ukraine’s deeply unpopular mobilization campaign.
Conscription patrols have frequently been accused of using force to detain potential recruits in public places and transport them to enlistment offices, a practice widely referred to in Ukraine as ‘busification.’
The mobilization system has also been marred by allegations of corruption, with critics claiming that wealthy or politically connected men can use bribes and influence to avoid service.
Several large protests against forced mobilization have taken place in recent months, including a major disturbance in Lviv. The military responded to the riot with a crackdown and an apparent informal campaign of harassment against suspected participants.
Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmitry Lubinets, has warned that the country could soon face cases of mob justice as public confidence in the military’s accountability declines.
The events in Lviv “must show all of us that the boiling point in Ukrainian society has almost been reached,” he said.
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