A new scandal is brewing within the ranks of the 425th Separate Assault Battalion «Skala», involving a brutal violation of military regulations. This time, the victims are not commanders, but fellow soldiers. Two servicemen from the medical company took it upon themselves to act as «judges» and «executioners», brutally beating colleagues for disciplinary infractions.

The events, reported by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), began in May 2026. Two men serving in the battalion were discharged from a military hospital. However, their return to duty did not proceed in the standard manner: for violating the regime at the medical facility, they were sent back to the medical company of the «Skala» battalion.

Summary justice in a utility building

Instead of handing the offenders over to the command for review, their comrades decided to deal with them on their own. The suspects inflicted numerous blows on the victims and then locked them in one of the utility buildings. It was there, in isolation, that the abuse continued.

The investigation has qualified the actions of the figures involved as torture and a violation of military regulations governing relations between servicemen. Both suspects have already been detained. They have been officially notified of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

  • Part 2 of Article 127 (Torture);
  • Part 3 of Article 406 (Violation of military regulations governing relations between servicemen in the absence of a subordinate relationship between them).

According to the law, suspects committing such crimes face imprisonment for up to 10 years.

Trend towards violence in the battalion

This investigation is not an isolated incident. This is not the first major scandal associated with the 425th «Skala» battalion. Previously, the unit has repeatedly recorded cases of non-regulation relations and physical violence.

A particularly resonant case involved a junior sergeant of the same battalion, who is suspected of beating both a clergyman and a high-ranking officer. In May 2025, during a conflict in the Kharkiv region, the soldier struck a chaplain. A month later, in Bakhmut, he beat a lieutenant colonel, breaking his rib.

The judicial system has already reacted to these incidents. The Pechersk District Court of Kyiv selected a preventive measure for the junior sergeant in the form of detention without the right to post bail. The arrest term has been extended until September 7, 2026.

The sequence of such incidents in an elite unit raises serious questions about the state of discipline and the psychological climate within the battalion.