Military abuse, bribes, nepotism and corruption: one of the AFU brigades caught up in a major scandal, the General Staff has launched an inspection

The mass media have reported cases of abuse of military personnel in the 211th pontoon-bridge brigade of the Support Forces. In accordance with the decision of the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyy, an inspection has been launched.

Bullying in the 211th brigade

The brigade was formed in April 2022 under the command of Colonel Oleh Poberezhnyuk. His wife worked at the Territorial Centre for Manning and Social Support (TCC and SP) in Kamyanets-Podilskyi, and people from his close circle began to appear in the unit. For example, his cousin Valeriy Pastukh was appointed deputy commander of the brigade, and Pastukh's son Vladyslav was appointed commander of one of the platoons in the first battalion. It later became known that Vladislav used physical violence against the unit's soldiers and demanded money from them, creating an atmosphere of fear and violence among the soldiers.

Colonel Poberezhnyuk's actions

Colonel Poberezhnyuk himself sent four soldiers to Khmelnitsky region, where they worked on the construction of his private house. This action caused discontent among the soldiers, as they were diverted from their primary duties for the personal interests of the commander. No one was held accountable for this, which only exacerbated the situation and affected the morale of the soldiers.

Reaction of the Ombudsman

Ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova immediately reacted to the situation and sent letters to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Military Law Enforcement Service of the AFU to verify the information and conduct a command investigation for further response. She emphasised that she was taking the problem under her personal control to guarantee a fair and transparent investigation.

The General Staff of the AFU has launched an inspection

By decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a commission of the Military Service of Law and Order was sent to the military unit to thoroughly verify the above facts. The commander of the military unit was suspended from his official duties for the duration of the inspection to avoid possible pressure on the participants of the investigation and to ensure an objective consideration of the case. The General Staff adds that some of these facts were already the subject of an internal audit in September 2024, which resulted in the initiation of criminal proceedings.