Latest news with #155th"AnneofKyiv"Brigade
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ukraine's parliament backs bill on military ombudsman in 1st reading
The Ukrainian parliament supported a bill on establishing the institution of a military ombudsman in the first reading on June 3, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said. The legislation was supported by 287 lawmakers, with 25 abstaining and none voting against it. Bills must pass two readings and be signed by the president before becoming law. Ukraine first unveiled plans to establish the office in April 2024 to ensure soldiers had a mechanism to report violations of their rights. The military ombudsman "will be responsible for considering appeals and complaints of service members, providing primary legal assistance, conducting inspections, and investigating violations of the rights of service members and their family members," the Defense Ministry said. President Volodymyr Zelensky has tapped Olha Reshetylova, formerly a journalist and human rights activist, as the first military ombudsman. The Military Ombudsman Office will be established as a civilian oversight body over the security and defense sector. The legislation also establishes procedures for military personnel to submit complaints and for the inspection of military units. As Ukraine entered the fourth year of the full-scale war with Russia, several units have faced accusations of misconduct and abuse within their ranks. Most recently, the French-trained 155th "Anne of Kyiv" Brigade is under investigation for alleged involvement of its command in handing out falsified bonus payments and demanding bribes. Last December, the commander of the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade was detained for failing to address abuse and torture allegations involving his subordinates. Read also: 'Closer to victory' – Operation Spiderweb gives much-needed morale boost to Ukrainians after 3 years of full-scale war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine will no longer create new brigades, official says
Ukraine will no longer form new military brigades, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa said in a television interview on Feb. 11. His comments come as Ukraine's is set to its structure, introducing a corps system to replace its current brigade-level system. The government will now focus on strengthening existing brigades operating in combat zones by replenishing them, Palisa said. "There is a detailed plan... In my opinion, the transition to a corps system is long overdue," Palisa said. "This... is not just a matter of time, it will allow us to be more effective on the battlefield in terms of management and use resources more efficiently." Training will continue in existing brigades taking into account situations that arose in the past, Palisa added, possibly referring to recent military controversies. Ukrainian authorities have faced criticism for in the military, including problems with the French-trained 155th "Anne of Kyiv" Brigade and the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov an investigation on Dec. 16 into the alleged abuse, extortion, and humiliation of soldiers in the 211th Brigade by their commanders. The incidents involving the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade garnered widespread backlash. In one of the alleged cases of , Senior Lieutenant Vladyslav Pastukh ordered subordinates to tie a victim to a wooden cross, where the soldier was immobilized for four hours. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a military ombudsman to oversee conditions in Ukraine's Armed Forces. Read also: Ukraine approves high-speed Baton drones for battlefield deployment We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
