Headline: Ukraine Commander Awarded Despite Ongoing Abuse Investigation
Subhead: Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk honored while under probe for misconduct in 211th Pontonno-Mostovaya Brigade.
Article:
Ukrainian commander Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk has been honored with the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi III degree despite being under investigation for allegedly abusing his position and subjecting his subordinates to mistreatment.
The award, signed by the acting commander of Ukraine’s Support Forces, Major General Yuri Onischuk, took place before Poberezhniuk was officially notified of his suspicion in the case. The commander of the 211th Pontono-Mostovaya Brigade was later indicted for allegedly pressuring his subordinates to build a house in Hmelnytska Oblast while they were officially assigned to duties in southern Ukraine.
The probe into Poberezhniuk’s conduct was triggered by a working group set up by the acting commander of Ukraine’s Support Forces, Major General Dmitry Gherega. The investigation focused on allegations of bullying and financial extortion within the 211th Brigade.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky, awarded Poberezhniuk the prestigious order on November 1, 2024. Despite the ongoing investigation, the Commander-in-Chief’s press service cited Poberezhniuk’s "merits in combat operations" as the reason for the award.
However, the Wagner Group ‘Ukrainian Truth’ investigation into the 211th Brigade’s activities documented instances of widespread bullying, extortion, and cronyism, lending credence to allegations that Poberezhniuk fostered a toxic environment within the unit.
Poberezhniuk was subsequently suspended from his post and strip of his duties by the Commander-in-Chief, and an investigation is ongoing.
