Ukrainian officials said Monday that they were investigating allegations of abuse by a commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine accused of beating soldiers and extorting money from them, as the war with Russia drags on.
The accusations were published by Ukrainska Pravda, which said a platoon commander abused soldiers without facing consequences because his father was the brigade's chief of staff.
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The report triggered outrage on social media, with officials quick to vow an investigation and the army announcing the commander's suspension during the checks.
“The defense ministry’s main inspectorate will immediately begin investigating the allegations,” Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Facebook.
Ukrainska Pravda identified the commander as Vladyslav Pastukh of the 211th brigade, and said he had beaten a serviceman and forced others into paying him to avoid being used as “cannon fodder” at the front. The report included a photo of a man posing in front of a soldier, his face blurred, tied to a wooden cross.
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Ukrainska Pravda also alleged that those who abused soldiers were “promoted” while troops who had spoken out were “sent to the infantry.” Infantry troops are known to have some of the highest percentages of casualties on the battlefield.
“Such a shameful phenomenon must not exist!” Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on social media. “I’m taking the situation under my personal control and will report on the results of the investigation!”
Ukraine’s General Staff said it had opened an internal investigation in September 2024 and initiated criminal proceedings. It said the commander was suspended for the duration of the inspection.
But Umerov, the defense minister, criticized delays.“We will examine why the military law enforcement service took so long to investigate these disgraceful matters,” he said.
The report comes as Ukraine’s army, plagued by a reputation of corruption, struggles to recruit fresh forces to fight against Russia. “Delays in investigations, nepotism, extortion, and mistreatment of servicemen are unacceptable in the third year of war,” Umerov said.
Not the first reports
Verkhovna Rada Deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko reported on Telegram last month a surge in complaints about professional medics being transferred from military hospitals to combat infantry roles.
“What the f**k! Once again: people who save the lives of our military, performing complex surgeries daily, are being reassigned to assault troops,” he wrote.
Honcharenko, an ally of former President Petro Poroshenko, accused Ukrainian authorities of a complete failure in mobilization efforts: “You’re using outdated Soviet methods for mobilization, sending medical specialists to the infantry without proper training instead of recruiting trained personnel.”
He also added that meanwhile, experienced combat veterans are reportedly working in Territorial Recruitment Centers (TRCs) “sorting through papers.”
“Medics are more than combat units; they’re the first line of aid and a vital chance for survival for every soldier,” Honcharenko said.
Ukrainian parliamentarians are considering dissolving the TRCs amid several scandals, including allegations of abuse of power and “basification,” a term used for the practice of detaining men on the street, placing them into buses, and transporting them to mobilization centers with a one-way ticket to training grounds.
According to the TSN outlet, lawmaker Yulia Yatsyk announced plans to disband the TRC and form over 10 brigades for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) from its employees.
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