Butusov said there had been no response to the scandal surrounding Skela
The commander of the UAV company of the 23rd Assault Regiment, part of the Second Corps of the National Guard “Charter,” Yuriy Butusov, stated that following the scandal surrounding the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelya,” there has still been no official response from those responsible for the unit.
According to him, decisions should be made not only within the regiment itself but also at the command level, since it is the command that appoints leadership, provides resources to the unit, and assigns combat missions.
Yuriy Butusov, commander of the unmanned systems company of the 23rd Assault Regiment within the Second Corps of the National Guard “Charter,” commented on the situation surrounding the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelya.” In an interview with Radio NV, he stated that despite high-profile reports of non-combat deaths among soldiers, there has still been no official response from the leadership responsible for this unit.
Butusov emphasized that responsibility cannot be placed solely on the regiment itself. “I am waiting for a decision from the people in charge of this regiment, from the regiment commander. It’s not the regiment itself that recruits people or appoints them to positions,” he said.
According to the military officer, the regiment commander carries out combat orders, receives personnel and weapons, and operates within the framework of decisions made by higher command. “He receives personnel for the regiment—reinforcements from the Territorial Recruitment Center and reserve battalions—in accordance with the Commander-in-Chief’s combat orders. He does not act on his own,” Butusov noted.
He also pointed out that it is the higher command that supplies the unit with equipment and weapons and makes personnel decisions. “There are people who provide ‘The Rock’ with weapons, orders to use them, and high honors. Apparently, in their opinion, this is normal and there are no problems. Because there have been no official statements, no reaction. We’ll see,” Butusov said.
What Caused the Scandal
The controversy surrounding the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelya” arose following an investigation by the publication “Babel.” Journalists reported at least 26 deaths among recruits from late fall 2025 to spring 2026.
According to the investigation, most of the soldiers died not during combat operations, but shortly after mobilization. The causes cited included severe forms of pneumonia, cardiovascular complications, and other illnesses. Relatives of some of the deceased also alleged possible inadequate medical care and isolated cases of physical abuse. The regiment itself denied these allegations but reported that some of the problems had already been resolved and that they were ready to cooperate with the investigation.
What Is Known So Far
Following the publication of these reports, the State Bureau of Investigations opened a criminal case regarding possible violations of servicemembers’ rights and abuse of authority. The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, stated that he had taken the situation under his personal supervision. Following a meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, a monitoring team was sent to the regiment to verify the reported facts.
Subsequently, the regiment itself confirmed the deaths of 25 recruits. The unit commander, Yuriy Garkavyi, was suspended from duty pending an internal investigation. On June 30, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi called the situation a “shameful incident” and stated that soldiers should not die in the rear. “Of course, this is a shameful story in the sense that it exists at all within the Armed Forces of a country at war. A soldier should definitely not die in the rear; rather, he should be preparing to defend his country,” Syrskyi said.
He reported that following the initial reports of the problem, investigations had already been conducted involving the Military Law Enforcement Service, the military ombudsman, and special commissions. According to him, the command reported at the time that the violations had been rectified. Following new reports, another comprehensive commission—comprising representatives of the General Staff and the Military Law Enforcement Service—was dispatched to “Skelya.” It is only after this commission completes its work that final decisions regarding the regiment’s leadership will be made.
Meanwhile, on July 7, relatives of the servicemen reported new deaths during basic military training. According to them, most of the mobilized soldiers died less than a month after arriving at their units. The investigation into the case is ongoing. Butusov stated this on Radio NV.
The Pechersky District Court of Kyiv imposed a pretrial detention measure on a servicemember of the “Skelya” regiment who is suspected of assaulting a military chaplain and a lieutenant colonel in the Kharkiv region. He was remanded in custody until September 7 without the right to bail.
The State Bureau of Investigations is investigating possible incidents of violence and cruel treatment of servicemen in the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelya.”
Between 2025 and 2026, the State Bureau of Investigations received 258 complaints regarding alleged violations in the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelya.” This information is contained in an official document made publicly available.
