The investigation found that in May 2026, two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers were discharged from the hospital for violating established procedures and sent to the unit’s medical department. For unknown reasons, the suspects reportedly decided to independently “punish” their comrades for disciplinary violations.
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According to officials, the suspects beat the victims and later locked them in a utility building, where the torture continued.
“One of the soldiers lost consciousness. He was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury, a broken nasal bone, and other bodily injuries,” the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation stated.
According to the investigators’ version, the suspects unlawfully detained another victim for about a day.
“Later, he was also taken to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury, multiple bruises, and contusions,” law enforcement officials said.
It is reported that both suspects are currently detained. They have been charged with torture and violation of military interpersonal relations rules established by law, accompanied by the beating and humiliation of several persons (Part 2 of Article 127, Part 3 of Article 406 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Under these articles, the penalty is up to 10 years of imprisonment. The issue of preventive measures for the suspects—detention—is still being decided.
It is added that during the investigation, officials of the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation also began checking individual reports of possible misconduct with soldiers at the deployment and training sites of the “Skelia” regiment.
What happened in the “Skelia” regiment?
The scandal regarding the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelia” arose after the publication by “Babel.” Journalists who conducted the investigation reported that soldiers in this regiment died en masse from late autumn 2025 to spring 2026.
The investigation mentions at least 26 deaths not related to direct military actions on the front line. According to journalists, most of the mobilized died shortly after conscription due to severe forms of pneumonia, cardiovascular complications, and other diseases.
Relatives of some of the deceased publicly stated that the leadership may have provided inadequate medical care and also indicated individual cases of physical violence, but these accusations were categorically denied within the regiment itself.
Official “Skelia” representatives reported that some of the problems described in the article were allegedly resolved several months ago and assured that they are fully prepared to cooperate with any inspections on all issues raised in the publication.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that he will personally oversee inspections regarding information about possible soldier torture in the “Skelia” regiment.
On June 25, 25 rookie deaths were confirmed in the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelia,” and the unit commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yuriy Kharkavas, was immediately suspended from duty for the entire official investigation period.
On July 10, the State Bureau of Investigation reported the detention of a soldier from the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelia,” suspected of beating two comrades in the Kharkiv region in 2025. According to the investigation data, he caused bodily injuries to a military chaplain and a lieutenant colonel.
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