OC West launches internal investigation in 155th Brigade after media report on "combat payments business"
The command of Operational Command West (OC West) is conducting an internal investigation in the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade "Anna of Kyiv" following the publication of a journalistic report alleging fake combat payments to servicemen and the extortion of kickbacks from them.
As reported by Censor.NET, this was reported in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda by Brigadier General Volodymyr Shvediuk, commander of OC West.
According to him, recent revelations about possible abuses by certain officials within the brigade prompted the launch of the internal investigation.
"A special group composed of the most experienced officers of OC West has been dispatched to the brigade. We are determined to investigate all circumstances and establish the full details of the offense in a principled and impartial manner," Shvediuk stated.
Upon completion of the inquiry, the materials will be submitted to law enforcement agencies.
Shvediuk recalled that the 155th Brigade was initially created as an infantry brigade but was later reorganized into a mechanized brigade during combat training.
According to him, the command of Operational Command West has accompanied the unit from the very beginning of its combat deployment. From December 2024 to March 2025, representatives of the command not only trained personnel but also, at times, directly led combat operations.
"In practice, Operational Command West was involved in building the brigade’s combat command system together with and under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The goal was to eliminate the command chaos and inaction caused by the incompetent leadership of the former brigade commander — a so-called ‘combat officer’ — who proved unable to respond to rapid changes in the combat environment. Based on objective conclusions, a decision was made to dismiss Colonel Dmytro Riumshyn from his position as brigade commander," the general noted.
Colonel Taras Maksimov was selected as the new brigade commander from among several candidates urgently reviewed by the personnel department of Operational Command West.
As Shvediuk emphasized, the key criteria were combat experience, the ability to act under crisis conditions, and positive recommendations from previous postings.
Maksimov, who previously served as deputy brigade commander of the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade, was, in the commander’s view, the most substantiated candidate by all indicators. Therefore, his appointment was submitted for approval to the Command of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.
At the same time, Shvediuk stressed that everyone who broke the law must be held accountable.
"I fully support the position of Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces: regardless of position, rank, or past service record, everyone who violated the law will be held fully accountable. Operational Command West is not merely a command structure — it is a combat brotherhood. There is no place here for irresponsibility or petty self-interest. We are all here for one purpose: to defend Ukraine and destroy the enemy," he added.
Background
On May 19, Ukrainska Pravda published a report titled " Business" around "combat payments" and mass AWOL: How new leadership is ‘reviving’ the 155th Mechanized Brigade."
The report included, among other things, allegations that Brigade Commander Colonel Taras Maksimov may have been involved in assigning fake combat payments and demanding kickbacks; more than 1,200 cases of AWOL since the beginning of 2025; and insufficient logistical support for the unit.
According to the article, servicemen maintaining UAVs in the rear were allegedly offered fake combat payments of UAH 100,000, from which UAH 40,000 had to be returned in cash "for battalion needs" and "up the chain."
This scheme was reportedly coordinated by Acting Commander of the UAV Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Sviatoslav Shumskyi, who was detained by law enforcement on May 2.
Following the publication, Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi ordered an additional inspection.
