231st Battalion of 128th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade supported its former battalion commander Riumshyn
The 213th Separate Battalion of the 128th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade of the Dyke Pole expressed support for its former commander, Dmytro Riumshyn, who is being tried today.
The battalion posted this on Facebook, Censor.NET reports.
"From April 23, 2022, to March 18, 2023, Dmytro Riumshyn commanded our battalion. During this time, he proved to be an exceptionally demanding, disciplined and experienced commander. His ability to quickly navigate difficult situations and make informed decisions has repeatedly saved the lives of our comrades. His determination and professionalism allowed our battalion to accomplish many difficult tasks in the hottest spots of the frontline.
Under his leadership, we have gone from forming a battalion to a real combat-ready unit capable of performing the most difficult tasks. Dmytro Riumshyn has always been not only our commander, but also a mentor, friend and role model," the statement said.
The military noted that Riumshyn is now at the center of a criminal prosecuting that they believe may be biased.
"We demand an objective and prompt investigation, a thorough examination of the facts of this case! Colonel Riumshyn deserves to be treated fairly, given his significant contribution to the defense of our state," they concluded.
On January 20, 2025, Riumshyn was detained by the SSU.
On January 21, a pre-trial restraint was imposed on him.
Situation in the 155th Brigade
As a reminder, on 1 January 2025, Censor.NET editor-in-chief Yurii Butusov outlined a number of facts about the circumstances of the formation and functioning of the 155th mechanised brigade "Anne of Kyiv", which entered the battle near Pokrovsk and suffered significant losses there.
According to him, the 155th Brigade faced a number of problems: 1,700 soldiers left the brigade without permission before the first battle, the brigade commander was fired immediately after the battle, and one of the brigade's leaders died of a heart attack.
Butusov conducted a lengthy investigation to find out what exactly led to the significant losses among the brigade's personnel and equipment and the massive AWOL.
In October, the 155th Brigade left for training in France. 1924 servicemen were sent there, of whom only 51 had more than a year of military service, 459 had up to a year of experience, and the majority, 1414, had just enlisted and served for less than 2 months, about 150 were sent to France even without undergoing the BGMT. About 50 military from brigade fled to France.
The editor-in-chief of Censor.NET also reports that the brigade has not been provided with the necessary weapons. In particular, the brigade did not receive any drones from the state to perform combat missions. Also, according to Butusov, there were no electronic warfare equipment. The brigade was supplied by volunteers.
In addition, all the 120 mm mortar shells produced by the Ministry of Strategic Industries that were issued to the brigade were defective.
On 2 January, it became known that the State Bureau of Investigation had launched an investigation into mass AWOL in the 155th "Anne of Kyiv" Brigade following media reports. In turn, the French Ministry of Defence did not comment on the information that the 155th Anne of Kyiv Brigade, trained by the French armed forces, was the subject of an investigation in Ukraine.
Also in early January, the results of a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff regarding the 155th Brigade "Anne of Kyiv" were announced.
On 5 January, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi promised to increase the capabilities of the 155th Brigade and acknowledged that there were problems that needed to be addressed.
Censor.NET editor-in-chief Yurii Butusov said that the formation of new brigades without their support is a gross mistake that is costly for the country.
