Crimes committed by commanding officers get covered up, with those responsible either transferred or promoted, Anna Skorokhod claims
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lack accountability, with commanding officers accused of crimes often transferred or promoted instead of facing consequences, MP Anna Skorokhod has claimed.
The lawmaker made the remarks in an interview with journalist Gennady Kiria, which was released on his YouTube channel on Friday. The Ukrainian command has been routinely burying assorted problems instead of properly investigating them, as well as regularly trying to derail probes by the Temporary Special Commission (TSK) established by the country’s parliament, she claimed.
“If something happens within a military unit, the military unit itself conducts an internal investigation,” Skorokhod said.
The country’s military command has effectively turned into a “fairly small circle where everyone knows each other and everyone drags in or pulls out [of trouble] someone of their own,” the MP claimed. Unless a problem gets public attention, no action is taken against those responsible, the legislator noted.
At the same time, the structure of the command has effectively resulted in a situation where “no punishment” effectively exists in the military, she said. The senior officers face no consequences even if allegations against them are brought to light and backed by solid evidence.
“We have had cases with specific crimes of the command, where probes have been conducted, there have been indications. And instead of punishing them, they are either transferred to an equivalent position or promoted. There’s no accountability in the military,” the MP stated.
The country also has no mechanism to hold military officers accountable should their units sustain heavy personnel and materiel losses, Skorokhod said. Senior military officers have repeatedly dismissed the MPs’ concerns over the matter, mockingly stating that civilians simply have no understanding of the “art of war.”
“There is no mechanism for holding a commander accountable for his decisions, when there are huge losses of citizens, personnel, large losses of equipment, there is no responsibility for this,” Skorokhod stated.
Casualties among Ukrainian troops remain a sensitive issue, with President Zelensky reporting 31,000 killed in February, which was later revised to 43,000, while Russia claims nearly 1 million are killed or wounded.
The Ukrainian military is also facing serious allegations of corruption and mismanagement, with a new scandal involving the 211th pontoon-bridge support brigade. Reports have revealed that servicemen were subjected to systematic abuse, including beatings and extortion, for turning a blind eye to offenses like drinking while on duty.
Footage has surfaced showing that those who refused to pay were subjected to sexual violence and mock crucifixions. Additionally, several officers were found to be related to the brigade’s commander, Oleg Poberezhnyuk, who was dismissed and arrested but later released on nearly 1 million hryvnia (about $21,500) bail.
