A major scandal has erupted surrounding the 425th Separate Assault Regiment 'Skala'. The trigger for this resonance was a journalistic investigation alleging systemic violations, torture, and the deaths of recruits within the unit's training centers. The reaction was swift: the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) initiated a criminal case, and the regiment's commander was relieved of his duties.
What the investigation revealed
On June 23, the Ukrainian online publication 'Babel' published a material based on interviews with more than 30 witnesses. Among the respondents were relatives of mobilized individuals, military personnel who left the service, and active-duty soldiers. Journalists report 25 cases of death in the regiment's training centers over the last six months. The editorial team also clarified that they are processing new data that could increase this figure.
Special attention in the material is paid to the story of 35-year-old Alexander Semenov. The man fled the service and went to a hospital in Kropyvnytskyi with numerous injuries, claiming abuse. In a video available to the publication, he also spoke about possible suicides within the unit. Later, Semenov died in the hospital; the official cause of death was pneumonia.
Regiment's reaction and leadership's position
The command of the 425th Regiment stated that they had reviewed the 'Babel' material and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased. The statement emphasized that each case must be considered separately, and conclusions should be based on facts and official checks.
The regiment disagreed with the journalists' generalizations, noting that some deaths occurred in hospitals or were related to illnesses and the health condition of mobilized individuals. The leadership also stated that the unit receives reinforcements from Territorial Recruitment Centers (TRC) with positive conclusions from the military-medical commission and does not conduct mobilization independently.
Investigative actions and the SBI's position
The day after the investigation was published, the State Bureau of Investigation announced the start of a check. A case was opened under Part 5 of Article 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — exceeding authority or official powers by a military official under martial law conditions.
Tatyana Sapyan, the SBI's communications advisor, stated during a TV marathon that the Bureau had been tracking possible offenses in 'Skala' even before the release of the journalistic material. Previously, two criminal proceedings were opened regarding the abuse of power involving physical violence. Following the publication of the investigation, another proceeding was registered.
"This does not mean that all facts presented in the media have already been confirmed. But we are obliged to check each of them. The task of the SBI is to establish not an emotional, but a legal picture of events," Sapyan emphasized.
Opinion of military ombudsmen
Dmytro Lyubynets, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada, stated that he is checking reports of possible torture, detention in places of confinement, and driving people to suicide. He appealed to the SBI and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office and also reported the start of work by a monitoring group of his Office.
Military Ombudsman Olga Reshetilova reported that problems in 'Skala' were known as early as May-June 2025. According to her, during a check at that time, 22 beaten soldiers were taken from the regiment, whose testimonies were confirmed by a polygraph. A group of instructors organizing abuse on the ranges was discovered. They were removed from training, however, law enforcement agencies have still not issued the results of the investigation.
Reshetilova also noted that since the beginning of 2026, the Ombudsman's Office has already sent 5 reports of crimes in the unit. A systemic solution to the situation is being hindered by global problems: about 2,000 drug-dependent soldiers were found in the assault regiment, who continue to be mobilized despite the rules. Furthermore, the unit itself has grown to the scale of a division while remaining in the management staff of a regular regiment.