Ukrainian law enforcement agents have charged a platoon commander of Ukraine's 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade with abuse of authority, accusing the individual of beating and humiliating subordinates, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Dec. 26.
Although authorities did not name the accused, Ukrainian media reported that the individual in question was Vladyslav Pastukh.
According to officials, the accused allegedly beat at least three soldier while serving along the front line between February and May 2024.
In one instance, after finding another soldier intoxicated, the accused kicked the soldier in the face as well as other parts of his body. In a separate instance, the commander ordered subordinates to tie the victim to a wooden cross, where the soldier was immobilized for four hours.
In another incident, the commander "beat another soldier over a dispute over the publication of a video recording on the internet about inadequate living conditions," the Prosecutor General's Office alleged. While a separate alleged assault occurred when a subordinate addressed the commander "inappropriately."
The accused has been charged with "abuse of authority by a military official" under Ukraine's Criminal Code, Hromadske reported, as well as two other charges related to desertion. The commander faces up to 12 years in prison, if convicted.
Pastukh was previously named in an investigation by Ukrainska Pravda that reported officers of 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade had beaten service members, extorted money from them, and tied one soldier to a wooden cross as a punishment.
Pastukh's godfather and commander of the brigade, Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, was taken into custody and charged with abuse of power on Dec. 19 for allegedly making four of his subordinates help him build his house in Khmelnytskyi Oblast in the fall of 2023.
The 211th Brigade, formed in August 2023, performs engineering work, builds defenses in the rear, and does not participate in direct combat.
Kateryna Denisova
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