The 425th Separate Assault Brigade “Skelia” has issued a statement addressing allegations of systemic rights violations among mobilized soldiers, following a report by the publication “Babel” that cited 26 fatalities in training centers over the past six months.
Andriy Surai, head of the civil-military cooperation group for the brigade, confirmed during an interview with Radio Svoboda that investigations are ongoing into two of the reported deaths. He noted, “We are fully cooperating with the investigation. In one case, a suspect has been detained, while the other involved an individual who fell from a tree. If a 53-year-old died from alcoholic cardiomyopathy without signs of violence, what is there to investigate?”
Surai also addressed the circumstances surrounding the escape of Alexander Semenov, who reportedly fled the brigade due to alleged mistreatment and later sought medical assistance in Kropyvnytskyi. According to the report, Semenov informed medical staff about instances of abuse before passing away from pneumonia a few days later.
Surai clarified that an investigation had already taken place regarding Semenov’s unauthorized departure from the unit, but not concerning his statements made in the hospital. He emphasized that Semenov’s death occurred shortly after his arrival at the medical facility, which limited the opportunity for questioning.
Furthermore, Surai expressed skepticism regarding Semenov’s claims of witnessing nine suicides within four days, stating, “He mentioned nine suicides, but the only name he provided corresponds to a documented case. The police were called, and they confirmed that an individual had taken their own life. However, we have no record of the other eight incidents he referred to.”
While acknowledging that other suicides had occurred within the brigade, Surai indicated that these incidents took place at different locations and involved individuals whom Semenov had never encountered.
In its statement, the 425th Separate Assault Brigade expressed condolences to the families of the deceased soldiers. The brigade highlighted that of the 26 reported deaths, 18 occurred in hospitals or en route to medical facilities, attributing these fatalities primarily to pre-existing health conditions among the mobilized personnel.
The 425th Separate Assault Brigade "Skelia" has responded to allegations of rights violations and fatalities among mobilized soldiers, confirming ongoing investigations into two deaths. The brigade's leadership expressed condolences while clarifying the circumstances surrounding reported incidents and emphasizing the health issues faced by many personnel.
Source: Babel