155th Brigade Soldiers Report Abuse After Transfer to Skelya Command

In connection of the public criticism of 425th Assault Regiment Skala by Serhiy Sternenko, a Ukrainian blogger and advisor to the Minister of Defense, after the counter-attack near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast on April 3, 2025, it was confirmed what was rumored for a while.

In the aftermath, information long circulating within military circles was publicly confirmed: Ukraine’s 155th Mechanized Brigade — the French-trained and French-equipped formation once presented as a flagship modernization project — had been subordinated to the 425th Assault Regiment “Skelya.” The revelation was confirmed by Anna Kaluzhna, who reported that the arrangement had been in place since at least the defense of the Pokrovsk sector.

From flagship brigade to senseless assaults

The 155th Mechanized Brigade was established in May 2024 as part of Ukraine’s broader effort to form the 150-series brigades. Unlike the others, however, the 155th was designed as a showcase of Western military assistance and interoperability.

Under French sponsorship, the brigade received extensive training abroad and was equipped almost entirely with French and Western hardware. Its mechanized battalions operated VAB armored personnel carriers and AMX-10 RC vehicles, while its tank battalion fielded Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks. Artillery units were equipped with Caesar self-propelled howitzers.

The brigade was initially viewed as one of Ukraine’s most promising new formations. That image began to unravel in January 2025, when Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation opened a criminal inquiry into the brigade’s formation and deployment process. During training in France, more than 50 servicemen deserted, prompting concern among French officials and Ukrainian military leadership alike.

After returning to Ukraine, the brigade faced further organizational breakdowns. According to reports, Operational Command West redistributed poorly trained and uncoordinated personnel directly into combat zones near Pokrovsk amid mounting pressure on the front line.

By late 2025, the brigade had been subordinated to the 425th Assault Regiment “Skelya” under orders from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. The decision effectively placed a brigade-sized formation under the control of an assault regiment — an unusual command structure that drew criticism.

Personnel from the 155th Brigade were subsequently committed to repeated senseless assault operations near Pokrovsk ordered by Sirskyi, where the unit sustained heavy casualties and equipment losses. What had once been envisioned as the most capable formation among the 150-series brigades became, became another “plug-the-gap” unit thrown into some of the war’s most attritional fighting.

Assault and abuse allegations inside the ranks

Separate allegations of abuse within units linked to the 425th Assault Regiment have further fueled scrutiny. According to investigators, on May 1 a serviceman was assaulted on the grounds of a battalion in the city of Dnipro. Video reveals the suspect publicly mocked a soldier from the 155th Mechanized Brigade before pulling him out of formation and repeatedly striking him in the head.

The victim lost consciousness during the assault. Investigators allege the attacker then restrained the serviceman’s hands with plastic ties and continued beating him while he was incapacitated, delivering multiple punches and kicks to the head and face. The soldier was later hospitalized with a closed head injury, concussion, bruises, and multiple hematomas.

According to relatives, the serviceman did not receive immediate medical assistance after the beating. His sister told Ukrainian media that despite suffering a concussion, he remained assigned to construction work for several days before treatment was finally provided after footage of the incident began circulating publicly.

The case follows a broader pattern previously highlighted Ukrainian human rights monitors, who have documented allegations of violence, coercion, and mistreatment within assault formations operating under intense battlefield pressure.

Sources cited by Slidstva.Info identified the suspect as a serviceman of the 210th Battalion, which was recently reformed into a drone unit of the 425th Assault Regiment.

The suspect has since been detained and charged under Ukraine’s Criminal Code with violating statutory relations between servicemen through violence and abuse, as well as torture committed under martial law.