Last spring, Ukraine accepted responsibility for the loss of territory, as the Ukrainian military was increasingly being outnumbered by Russian attacks and faced with mounting public pressure to address concerns about the military’s leadership on the front lines. It was announced that three former commanders had been detained.
Ukraine’s security services announced late Monday that three former commanders, two former commanders and one colonel, have been charged with allegedly failing to protect the Kharkov region in northeastern Ukraine from advancing Russian forces last year.
The security service, known as the SBU, did not release the names of the detainees, only their rank and the unit they were commanding at the time.
The former commanders are accused of failing to build adequate fortifications and properly equip defensive positions, as well as other mistakes that “led to the capture of parts of the territory in eastern Ukraine, where heavy fighting is currently ongoing.” has been done. service stated in a statement.
The arrests come amid mounting desertions in Ukraine’s military and growing public pressure to take action against commanders seen as incompetent or careless. Soldiers who leave their units without permission often cite disagreements with their commanders as the main reason.
The colonel was also blamed for 12 soldiers from his battalion leaving their positions. the statement said. Separately, the commander of another 155th brigade was arrested and charged with causing numerous members of his brigade to go AWOL at a time when Ukraine’s military was severely lacking in manpower.
Ukraine has also targeted corruption within its military, amid widespread reports of bribes by military personnel, particularly medical commissars who can issue draft exemptions.
On Tuesday, the SBU announced that the country’s chief military psychiatrist had been arrested for acquiring several properties and four BMWs and collecting more than $1 million since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. did.
The crimes the commanders are accused of can carry up to 10 years in prison. The SBU said it would seek to place those arrested in pre-trial detention as a precautionary measure.
Soldiers of the 125th Brigade, which was defending the Kharkiv region at the time, were outraged, saying their former commander was among those arrested.
“We were defending a vast area of our border and fought to the death in the first hours of the attack. We lacked manpower, ammunition and support, but under the guidance of our commander We fought!” they wrote to the brigade. facebook page.
Cassandra Vinograd and Natalia Novosorova Contributed to the report.
