Ukraine on Thursday detained a platoon commander accused of abusing troops in his brigade and of corruption, in a high-profile case that caused outrage as the war with Russia drags on for almost three years.
The move came after a media report on the commander – identified in the press as Oleh Poberezhnyuk of the 211th brigade – allegedly abusing his position by forcing troops to build his private home instead of fighting.
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The story was published earlier this week by respected news outlet Ukrainska Pravda, triggering fury, with the army long plagued by allegations of corruption.
“The court imposed a pre-trial restraint on the commander of the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade,” the prosecutors’ office said.
He was charged earlier this week with abuse of power.
“It was established that in the autumn 2023, he brought four subordinates to build his house instead of serving in combat zones,” the prosecutor’s office said Tuesday.
Prosecutors had said the soldiers had received salaries and combat payment totaling almost a million hryvnias (about $23,460).
Ukrainska Pravda said Poberezhnyuk had also covered for his godson, who allegedly bullied and extorted money from fellow troops.
The story included a photograph of a man posing in front of a soldier, his face blurred, tied to a wooden cross.
The report triggered outrage, with officials quickly stepping in by announcing the unit commander’s suspension during an investigation.
Ukraine’s right ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets had decried the commander’s alleged behaviour as “shameful.”
During the nearly three years of war, several high-profile cases of alleged embezzlement or corruption have rocked the country, leading to dismissals and arrests of high officials.
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