2 Skelia soldiers charged with torturing comrades as abuse investigation widens

Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation has charged two servicemen from the medical unit of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment, known as Skelia, with allegedly torturing and unlawfully detaining two fellow soldiers, the agency said on July 28.

The investigation followed a report by the Ukrainian outlet Babel, which alleged widespread abuse within the regiment and documented at least 26 noncombat deaths among recruits between late 2025 and spring 2026. The report cited testimonies from current and former soldiers, relatives of mobilized servicemen, as well as medical records, court documents, and forensic examinations.

According to the State Bureau of Investigation, the alleged abuse took place in May 2026 in Ukraine's Kirovohrad Oblast after victims were discharged from the hospital for violating hospital rules and transferred to the regiment's medical unit.

The suspects allegedly decided to "punish" the soldiers for disciplinary violations. Investigators say they repeatedly beat the two servicemen before locking them inside a utility building, where the abuse continued.

One of the victims lost consciousness and was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury, a broken nose, and other injuries, according to the State Bureau of Investigation. The second soldier was allegedly held for nearly another day before also being hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury and multiple bruises.

Both suspects have been detained and charged with torture and violating statutory rules governing relations between servicemen involving violence and abuse against multiple victims. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison, the bureau said.

The case is the latest development in an expanding investigation into abuse within the Skelia regiment. The State Bureau of Investigation previously said it was investigating whether military officials exceeded their authority under martial law, while Ukraine's Ground Forces stressed that violence, humiliation, and denial of medical care would not be tolerated if confirmed.

In a statement, Skelia spokesperson Vladyslav Malko said the regiment was "actively cooperating with the State Bureau of Investigation" and providing investigators with "all necessary assistance."

He added that the unit was conducting internal inspections, strengthening oversight of commanders at all levels, and improving mechanisms for responding to complaints from servicemen.

Last month, the regiment's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yurii Harkavyi, was suspended from duty pending an investigation into alleged violations of soldiers' rights, the regiment's press officer told the Kyiv Independent.

Malko acknowledged that "individual problems" may exist within the regiment but said they were neither hidden nor tolerated.

"Every specific case must be thoroughly investigated, those responsible identified and held accountable in accordance with the law," he said, adding that the regiment's goal was to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Skelia is one of Ukraine's largest assault formations, with more than 10,000 personnel. Expanded as part of an effort by former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi to build specialized assault units, the regiment receives a large share of newly mobilized recruits and is regularly assigned high-risk assault operations.