Army chief Drapatyi orders inspection of regiment over abuse allegations
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Drapatyi ordered an internal investigation at the 225th Special Forces Battalion (Photo: 225th Separate Assault Regiment/Facebook)
Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, has ordered the Military Law Enforcement Service to conduct an inspection of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment following a journalistic investigation into alleged use of so-called barrier troops, beatings, and torture within the unit, journalist Anna Kaliuzhna, who authored the original investigation, reported on Aug. 4, after receiving a response from the Armed Forces' Main Communications Directorate.
According to Kaliuzhna, the inspection will examine the possibility that criminal orders were issued within the regiment, as well as instances of violence. The Ukrainian Armed Forces told the journalist they would determine whether commanders had in fact ordered troops to be disarmed or fired upon in the event of a retreat, and would also investigate reported cases of violence against soldiers in the regiment.
Military officials added that if the allegations of illegal actions are confirmed, "those responsible will be held accountable under current law."
"As of now, this is the only official state response to the investigation," Kaliuzhna wrote. “I am not aware of any relevant law enforcement agency opening a criminal case based on what witnesses and victims described in the report.”
On July 30, the outlet Texty.org.ua published Kaliuzhna's investigation, which described beatings, unlawful detention and threats of weapons use against soldiers who left their positions without authorization within the 225th Separate Assault Regiment. The outlet cited an audio recording in which a voice resembling that of regiment commander Oleh Shyriaiev orders troops to open fire on soldiers abandoning their positions without orders, stating that under such circumstances "there are no 'our own' anymore."
Shyriaiev told Texty that his words did not constitute an order to fire on fellow soldiers, but rather concerned "rules for the movement of troops from different units and methods of coordination to identify friendly forces" — explaining that Russian soldiers disguised in Ukrainian uniforms could pose as friendly troops.
The regiment denied rumors that barrier troops were used during the stabilization of combat operations near Huliaypole in Zaporizhzhya Oblast in 2025.
"Not a single Territorial Defense soldier was harmed as a result of so-called friendly fire. Therefore, any claims about barrier troops do not correspond to reality," the regiment said.
The unit also said it had been deployed near Huliaypole after territorial defense units holding that sector lost command and control.
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