Former commander, who was already convicted of murdering subordinate, received new suspicion: he took bribes for "not sending" him to infantry
The former commander is suspected of systematically accepting bribes from subordinates who paid to avoid being assigned to infantry units. He received 680,000 hryvnias from seven service members.
This was reported by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Defense Affairs in the Eastern Region, according to Censor.NET.
Details
The former commander, taking advantage of his official position, organized the systematic collection of bribes from subordinate military personnel, who paid to avoid being assigned to infantry units.
According to the prosecutor’s office, these facts were uncovered during the pre-trial investigation of criminal proceedings concerning intentional homicide, abuse of authority or official powers by a military official, and the torture of a subordinate.
"The suspect took advantage of the soldiers’ severe emotional and psychological distress and, in exchange for monetary compensation, promised not to assign them to infantry units, facilitated their service in relatively safe locations outside areas of direct combat with the enemy, and, in some cases, ensured they would not face disciplinary action. At the same time, in such cases, the unlawful benefit consisted of the monthly transfer of a portion of their pay and additional compensation after they received it," the statement said.
The bribes ranged from 20,000 to 135,000 hryvnias. The funds were handed over in cash, transferred to the personal bank cards of the suspect and his relatives, and also channeled through other military personnel.
They coordinated the amounts and payment details via WhatsApp.
From July 27, 2024, to January 10, 2025, it was documented that the suspect received improper benefits from seven subordinate military personnel totaling 680,000 UAH.
After receiving a bribe, the man ensured that the servicemen were assigned to relatively safe posts.
"Instead, acting on verbal orders, he sent other subordinates to combined units to carry out tasks related to reinforcing the fortifications along the defensive lines. According to the investigation, some of the servicemen who were sent to these units went missing while carrying out combat missions," the prosecutor's office added.
At this time, the former commander has been notified of the charges against him, and authorities will petition the court to impose a preventive measure in the form of pretrial detention.
What led up to this?
On March 11, 2026, the Dnipro District Court of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast found the former commander guilty of committing criminal offenses under Part 1 of Article 115 and Part 5 of Article 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, for the intentional murder of a subordinate servicemember at the military unit’s temporary base in Kramatorsk in December 2024, and sentenced him to 11 years of imprisonment.
An indictment has also been filed with the court charging the same individual with criminal offenses under Part 5 of Article 426-1 and Part 3 of Article 127 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in connection with the use of violence and torture against a subordinate near combat positions in the Donetsk region in July 2023.
