Investigation into abuses in 211th Brigade: Searches conducted in military unit, commander notified of suspicion

That is according to the Prosecutor General’s Office, Ukrinform reports.

The brigade officials are charged with Part 5 of Article 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power or authority by a military officer).

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by investigators from the territorial department of the State Bureau of Investigation located in Lviv.

The criminal proceedings are investigating possible illegal actions of the brigade officers, including the use of physical violence against subordinates under martial law, extortion of money, and abuse of disciplinary power. The materials collected during official inspections of the brigade by the Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, media and social media reports, etc., are being studied.

The criminal proceedings are investigating possible illegal actions by the brigade officers, including the use of physical violence against subordinates under martial law, extortion of money, and abuse of disciplinary power. The materials collected during official inspections of the brigade by the Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, media reports, and social media posts are being reviewed.

On December 17, the commander of the 211th Brigade was served with a notice of suspicion of abuse of office (part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The soldiers were officially included in the order to be sent to the Mykolaiv region, where they allegedly performed their duties. However, there is evidence to suggest that they were not actually there. During this period, the soldiers received salaries and combat payments amounting to nearly UAH 1 million.

Law enforcement officers conducted authorized searches in the military unit, at the residence of the commander, servicemen and at the construction site. They seized documents and other material evidence of illegal activity.

As reported by Ukrinform, on December 16, Ukrainska Pravda published an article highlighting the facts of possible abuse by officials of the 211th Pontoon and Bridge Brigade of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have initiated an investigation into allegations of bullying, extortion, and nepotism within the 211th Pontoon and Bridge Brigade.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated that the facts published in the media will be reviewed by the Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense.