The Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have stated that the command is facilitating a full, objective, and impartial verification of information regarding the 425th Separate Assault Regiment "Skelya," noting that the Skelya regiment is providing all necessary support to the relevant authorities, and urged to avoid premature conclusions until the investigation is complete.
"In connection with the publication of information in the media regarding the 425th Separate Assault Regiment ‘Skelya,’ we emphasize that no military necessity, intensity of training, or reputation of a combat unit can serve as a ground for humiliation, violence, improper treatment, or indifference to the life and health of servicemen," the Land Forces said in a statement on Telegram on Thursday.
It is noted that "the information set out in the publications requires proper legal verification rather than emotional assessments or formal comments. Authorized bodies are already working on the cited facts. They are the ones who must establish the circumstances, the responsible persons, and provide a legal assessment of the events."
"The Command of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, within its powers, is keeping the situation under control and is facilitating a full, objective, and impartial verification. The Separate Assault Regiment ‘Skelya’ is providing the necessary support to the relevant bodies within the procedures provided by law," the statement reads.
"At the same time, it is important to avoid premature conclusions before the verification is completed," the statement says.
It is noted that part of the published information concerns events that, according to media reports, could have taken place about half a year ago. Therefore, the collection, analysis, and verification of materials require time. This is necessary to ensure that the final conclusions are accurate, lawful, and unbiased.
As reported, the State Bureau of Investigation has launched a pre-trial investigation into the facts published in the media regarding possible unlawful actions against servicemen of the "Skelya" assault regiment.
The day before, the Babel publication published an investigation into the 425th Separate Assault Regiment "Skelya" of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The article covers non-combat losses of the regiment, in particular among mobilized personnel. According to witnesses, information is provided regarding the alleged use of violence and torture at training grounds and centers. It is also noted that timely medical assistance was allegedly not provided to the soldiers. According to journalists, 26 deaths have been recorded at the regiment’s training centers over the past six months. Most of the deceased, according to the publication, had been in the unit for less than a month.
Military Ombudsperson Olha Reshetylova put forward a proposal to reorganize the "Skelya" regiment, the size of which, according to her, actually corresponds to a division, while it is managed by a regiment-sized staff. The Office of the Ukrainian Ombudsperson Dmytro Lubinets also announced a verification of the "Skelya" regiment.
