The former commander of the 155th Brigade was detained for concealing 56 instances of unauthorized absences from service.

Employees of the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), in collaboration with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and with the support of the Ministry of Defense and the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, have detained the former commander of the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade. The colonel, who was responsible for discipline and order within the unit, failed to take necessary measures to address violations among his subordinates, particularly regarding numerous instances of unauthorized absence from the military unit. This was reported by SBI.

Throughout 2024, the commander did not submit a single report to the pre-trial investigation authorities regarding criminal offenses committed by his soldiers. Despite multiple reports from the command staff about illegal actions of servicemen, such as unauthorized absence from duty and failure to return from leave, he took no actions to maintain law and order. This led to serious consequences, particularly to impunity for some military personnel who systematically left their posts, complicating the process of locating and returning violators.

In particular, subordinates, while carrying out training assignments in France, left the training grounds without permission due to a lack of proper discipline. Among them were individuals previously held administratively liable for attempts to illegally cross the state border. These actions resulted in 56 unauthorized departures from training sites and further undermined the combat readiness of the brigade.

The negligence of the former commander became a significant obstacle to the completion of important combat tasks for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and negatively affected the moral climate within the brigade. The criminal irresponsibility of the commander also impacted the prestige of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, reducing their combat capability and jeopardizing national security.

The former brigade commander has been detained and will be transported to Kyiv to be informed of the suspicion of willful neglect of duties, which caused significant harm to state security. For these offenses, he faces up to 10 years of imprisonment under Article 426, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

We remind you that the Central Recruitment Center clarified whether 18-year-old students will be mobilized after the end of the BZVP. In Ukraine, mandatory mobilization begins at the age of 25. Until that age, service can only be contracted.