A general and a colonel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been taken into custody for the failure of Ukraine’s defense near Kharkiv

A court has imposed preventive measures on a general and a colonel suspected of failing to properly defend the Kharkiv region during the spring of 2024.

An interview with the lawyer of one of the Ukrainian officers was published by the Telegram channel Radio Liberty.

Colonel Ilya Lapin has been taken into custody for a period of two months. Meanwhile, former commander of the separate tactical group “Kharkiv,” Yuriy Galushkin, has been placed under house arrest with the option of posting bail set at 5 million hryvnias (approximately 115,000 euros).

It was reported yesterday that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) detained three officials, including those suspected of failing to adequately defend the Kharkiv region during the Russian offensive in May 2024.

According to the investigation, negligence by the command led to the enemy’s capture of border areas in northern Ukraine, resulting in losses of soldiers and equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Specifically, the former commander of the “Kharkiv” group and the 125th Territorial Defense Brigade was reportedly aware of preparations for a Russian offensive but failed to warn his troops, establish defensive positions, or conduct timely redeployment of units. Instead, he is accused of setting “unrealistic” combat objectives for his personnel.