Ukrainian soldiers take part in a training session (archive photo): There were allegedly massive violations by the commanders in the “Skelia” unit.Image: keystone
A Ukrainian assault regiment is under pressure because of alleged violence against its own soldiers. The allegations affect a unit that takes in many newly mobilized men and is regularly involved in risky operations.
June 26, 2026, 12:09 p.mJune 26, 2026, 12:09 p.m
Simon Cleven / t-online
The Ukrainian army has temporarily suspended the commander of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelia”, Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Harkavyi, from duty. A spokesman for the Ukrainian army told journalists on Thursday. The background is investigations into suspected violations of the rights of soldiers and reports of at least 26 deaths among recruits that are not said to be related to combat operations.
The trigger was research by the Ukrainian medium “Babel”. It speaks of mistreatment, coercion, inadequate medical care and deaths in the regiment’s training camps. Relatives and former soldiers made serious allegations against those responsible for the unit. Twenty-six soldiers are said to have died in the regiment’s training centers in the past six months, many of them less than a month after arriving in the unit.
Ukraine’s State Investigation Bureau opened a preliminary investigation on Tuesday and is examining whether military officials exceeded their authority under the pretext of martial law.
“Skelia” unit confirms 25 of 26 deaths
The regiment has now confirmed some of the information. A spokesman for “Skelia”, Andrij Suraj, said, according to Ukrainian media, that the deaths of 25 of the 26 soldiers named in the research could be confirmed. One person could not be identified; he had no connection to the regiment. Suraj was cautious about the circumstances of the deaths: There are ongoing investigations and procedures that need to clarify how reliable the allegations are.
The regiment said 18 of the soldiers named died in hospitals or on the way there. The unit cited illness or poor health of mobilized soldiers as a possible cause.
The unit also rejected individual allegations. Spokesman Oleksiy Bratuschak said, according to the “Suspilne” broadcaster, that there were no “pits” at “Skelia” – probably an allusion to reports about places where soldiers were said to have been punished or detained. Each case must be examined individually, the regiment explained.
The suspended commander Harkawyj received the order of “Hero of Ukraine”, the highest award of the Ukrainian state, in January 2025. His unit celebrated the award and his “unique leadership qualities” with this post on Instagram:
Investigators are investigating allegations
The Ukrainian army announced that it would wait for the results of the investigation. If crimes are confirmed, those responsible would be held accountable according to the law. At the same time, the army emphasized that no military necessity, no training pressure and no reputation of a combat unit could justify humiliation, violence, inappropriate treatment or indifference to the life and health of soldiers.
The military ombudswoman Olha Reschetylowa spoke of clearly criminal behavior. She said her office and the military police had already identified a group of instructors in June 2025 that were said to be responsible for abuses at training areas. However, there are no results of these investigations yet.
Big unit, high load
“Skelia” is one of the larger Ukrainian storm formations. According to Ukrainian media, the regiment has more than 10,000 soldiers. The unit was expanded as part of the development of specialized storm troops under Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyj and is receiving many newly mobilized recruits. It is regularly used for particularly risky attack operations.
Russian narrative on the Ukraine war refuted
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin in 2023. It is based on the well-founded suspicion that the Russian president is responsible for mass deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.
As the Russian commander-in-chief, Putin is also responsible for numerous war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, such as the rape and murder of women and children. He is also responsible for the bombing of the Ukrainian civilian population.
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“Skelia” spokesman Bratuschak told “Suspilne” that the military ombudsman’s office had identified 2,000 people with drug addictions in the regiment. Many of them have now been rehabilitated, have undergone basic training and physical training and are now carrying out military tasks.
The case comes at a time when the Ukrainian army is under significant personnel pressure. After heavy losses in the war against Russia, Kyiv is increasingly dependent on mobilized people. Reports of grievances in individual units have been increasing for some time. The case is therefore sensitive for the army leadership: it must ensure operational capability, but at the same time credibly demonstrate that the soldiers’ rights and health are protected even under war conditions.