Title: Ukrainian Prosecutors Arrest Brigade Commander for Inaction on Torture Claims
The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) in Ukraine has detained and charged the commander of the 211st Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (Ukrainian Ground Forces), Oleksiy Poberedzhnyuk, for failing to address allegations of torture and abuse against soldiers under his command. The DBR announced the arrest in a statement posted on their official Telegram channel.
Details of the Case
Investigators found that Poberedzhnyuk was aware of numerous incidents of torture and inhumane treatment by a subordinate officer between February and July 2024 but took no action or initiated proceedings to hold the officer accountable. The officer in question, Vladyslav Pastokh, is a senior lieutenant and the son of the chief of staff of the military unit. Pastokh was previously charged with similar offenses.
Poberedzhnyuk has been charged with dereliction of military duty under conditions of martial law or combat operations, which carries a potential penalty of seven to ten years imprisonment.
Searches and Next Steps
On Saturday, December 28, law enforcement officers conducted searches at Poberedzhnyuk’s residence. He was subsequently transferred to Kyiv for a bail hearing, which is scheduled for Monday, December 30.
Background
Poberedzhnyuk was previously arrested and charged by the Territorial Police of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine on suspicion of abusing his power by involving subordinates in the construction of his personal house in the Hmelnytskyi region instead of deploying them to combat zones. In this case, a court ruled that Poberedzhnyuk could be released on bail, and he posted a bail of 908,400 UAH (approximately $21,000 USD) on December 20.
Meanwhile, the DBR is investigating another case involving allegations of cruel and unusual punishments and violence against subordinates within the 211th Brigade.
Link to earlier story: The ‘Engineering Family’: Abuses, Money Extraction, Nepotism, and Other Secrets of the 211th Ponton-Bridge Brigade
