Latest news with #211thPontoonBridgeBrigade
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ukrainian commander faces trial for failing to stop torture within his unit
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation has completed its probe into Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, commander of the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade, accusing him of knowingly allowing torture and abuse of soldiers under his command to continue unchecked, the officials said on May 29. According to the official statement, investigators determined that from February to July 2024, Poberezhniuk was aware of repeated instances of torture and cruel treatment carried out by a subordinate officer but failed to take any action. The officer in question, Senior Lieutenant Vladyslav Pastukh, allegedly beat, humiliated, and tortured fellow servicemen. Pastukh, who is no longer with the unit, is the son of the brigade's chief of staff and a close associate of Poberezhniuk. Authorities say this personal connection likely influenced the commander's decision to conceal the crimes and avoid reporting them to law enforcement. Pastukh was charged with abusing his authority in December 2024 after allegedly beating, humiliating, and torturing fellow service members. The commander faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted."Instead of protecting the rights of his subordinates, the commander effectively became complicit through criminal inaction, enabling further abuse," the bureau said. Such actions, it added, not only violate the law but also pose a serious threat to the internal discipline of Ukraine's Armed Forces during wartime. Poberezhniuk has been charged with inaction of military authority under martial law, a serious offense under Ukraine's Criminal Code, carrying a sentence of seven to 10 years in prison. The case has been forwarded to Poberezhniuk and his legal team for review before being submitted to court. The Prosecutor General's Office is overseeing the case. The charges follow a December 2023 Ukrainska Pravda investigation that revealed a pattern of systemic abuse within the brigade, including beatings, extortion, and reports of a soldier being tied to a wooden cross. The report also highlighted widespread nepotism, with multiple family members serving within the same unit. Following public outcry, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi suspended Poberezhniuk, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov ordered an internal investigation. How much does a Russian drone attack on Ukraine cost? The question is more complicated than it soundsBeginning overnight on Saturday, May 24, Russia rained down nearly a thousand drones and missiles on villages and cities across Ukraine in three nights of large-scale aerial attacks, as civilians spent hours sheltering underground. Russia's bombardment killed more than a dozen people and injured dozens more, in one ofThe Kyiv IndependentAndrea Januta 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.
