The law enforcement authorities have detained the former commander of the 155th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who allowed the desertion of his subordinates.
This was reported by the press service of the Office of the Attorney General via Telegram.
According to the investigation, the ex-commander failed to inform law enforcement agencies about a significant number of instances of soldiers from the brigade abandoning their posts without permission.
“Such incidents occurred during exercises in the European Union and while performing combat tasks on the eastern front. Some subordinates periodically left their posts without authorization and then returned voluntarily, feeling that they were not being punished for such actions,” the OGP states.
It was noted that the commander’s inaction could have affected the ability of the Armed Forces units to carry out combat missions.
Additionally, law enforcement is investigating information regarding possible corruption schemes related to accepting bribes from military personnel to evade service and during the selection of soldiers for training abroad.
“Currently, a decision is being made on bringing charges for the inaction of military authority committed under martial law and on choosing a measure of restraint (part 4 of Article 426 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine),” the statement reads.
It is worth mentioning that earlier media reported on inadequate formation and provision of the new 155th OMBr. There were also reports of desertion and unauthorized absence, particularly during the training of soldiers in France. It is known that in connection with this, the State Bureau of Investigation detained the commander of one of the companies in the 155th brigade.
Furthermore, it was reported that by the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Syrsky, a comprehensive group from the General Staff began its work in the troops.