Abuse in the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Complaints about Violations Came from 22 Brigades.

The temporary investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada regarding violations of military personnel's rights examined appeals about extortion or abuse in 22 brigades. In not all cases were such data confirmed.

"We reviewed more than one brigade (referring to the 211th brigade, – ed.), this situation is not only in one brigade. We examined 22 similar brigades during the activity period of the TSK, where money was demanded from the military personnel and where beatings or abuse occurred," – she reported.

According to the deputy, in not all cases the data was confirmed, and regarding those where confirmations were found, criminal proceedings were opened and investigations conducted. She noted that currently she has no access to them since the term of the TSK has expired.

Besides those 22 brigades, Skorokhod is currently examining the situation in five more.

She also emphasized the "cover-up" in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For example, initially, the official investigation in the 211th brigade revealed nothing. "When such things happen, I repeat, we examined 22 similar cases, when checks begin, the checks find nothing," – Skorokhod reported.

Although the TSK received videos, photos, appeals from military personnel, card accounts where soldiers were supposed to transfer money, screenshots from chats, correspondence with threats, including to the families of those who complained about problems.

"There are many ways to conduct checks, but we must state the fact that in most cases, the checks conducted by military units established nothing and found nothing," – she reported.

Real Responsibility for Command

According to the deputy, the only way to end such cases in the army is to have "real responsibility" for commanders for their actions.

"Because today even those who are recognized and established to have beaten or abused, or extorted money, unfortunately, no one has been punished. The most significant punishment in our army today is either a transfer to an equivalent position, or a promotion, or granting another rank," – Skorokhod stated.

Recall that journalists reported that the leadership of the 211th pontoon-bridge brigade of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine abused soldiers - they demanded money, beat them, and threatened to throw them "to the meat." One of the fighters reported that he was tied to a wooden cross and physically abused.

As noted, behind the abuses was Vladislav Pastukh - the son of the head of the staff Valeriy Pastukh and the godson of the brigade commander Oleg Poberezhnyuk, who at that Time was a senior lieutenant. The story caused a significant resonance within the brigade. The younger Pastukh was transferred to serve in another unit. His father paid money to the injured soldiers who wrote reports and proved the transfers with receipts.

Law enforcement also opened a criminal case regarding the illegal actions of the commanders of the 211 pontoon-bridge brigade.