Ukraine’s brigade commander arrested over alleged energy abuse after media investigation

A court docket in Ternopil took into custody Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, the commander of the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade, who’s suspected of abuse of energy, the Prosecutor Basic's Workplace reported.
The court docket set the bail for Poberezhniuk at Hr 908,400 ($21,600).

He was charged with abuse of workplace after he allegedly had 4 of his subordinates assist construct his home in Khmelnytskyi Oblast within the fall of 2023. Whereas performing the service for Poberezhniuk, the 4 service members obtained full salaries and fight funds and had been formally listed in a working go to to Mykolaiv Oblast.

On Dec. 16, Ukrainska Pravda reported that the unit's officers had crushed service members, extorted cash from them, and even tied one soldier to a picket cross as a punishment.

In response to the media investigation, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi ordered an inspection and suspended Poberezhniuk. Protection Minister Rustem Umerov additionally ordered an investigation into the alleged abuse, extortion, and humiliation of troopers.

The 211th Brigade, fashioned in August 2023, performs engineering work, builds defenses within the rear, and doesn’t take part in direct fight.

In line with Ukrainska Pravda, the circumstances of abuse surfaced after the beginning of official checks within the spring of 2024.

The outlet's sources named now-Captain Vladyslav Pastukh, Poborezhniuk's godson and the son of the unit's chief of employees, as one of many foremost perpetrators. The officer was stated to have extorted cash from troopers on account of being associated to the unit's most senior officers.

Although Pastukh not serves within the unit, the media investigation recognized virtually a dozen circumstances of fathers and sons or husbands and wives serving collectively within the 211th Brigade.

The revelations come as Ukraine faces mounting challenges in replenishing the ranks of its Armed Forces, going through low enlistment charges and even circumstances of desertion. Mykhailo Drapatyi, the brand new commander of the Floor Forces, just lately introduced wide-ranging reforms specializing in recruitment and coaching.

As US pushes Kyiv to lower draft age, why won’t Ukraine conscript younger men?One thing stands out when looking at Ukraine’s Armed Forces — it is made up predominantly of older men. Ukraine has never publicly released information about the age of its troops, but the average age is reportedly around 43 years old. Exact figures on the size of Ukraine’s armedThe Kyiv IndependentElsa Court