Torture and lack of evacuation: relatives of missing soldiers spoke at a rally about problems in the Ukrainian Armed Forces

At a rally in Kyiv, relatives of missing Ukrainian soldiers spoke out about problems within AFU brigades, citing torture and lack of evacuation.

A video of the rally was published on Telegram channels.

One of the speakers read out a list of brigades and the abuses reported in them:

• 95th, 117th, 118th Brigades – soldiers are not evacuated from lost positions and are forced to surrender as prisoners;

• 57th Brigade – soldiers are kept in pits, beaten, and abused;

• 225th and 425th Brigades – soldiers are allowed phones only once a week under supervision, while untrained recruits are sent straight to the front line (“zero” positions);

• 23rd Brigade – belongings of missing soldiers are stolen, and no evacuation from lost positions is carried out;

• 39th Brigade – relatives of soldiers are pressured not to file official complaints about commanders;

• 59th Brigade – relatives must pay $300 to have a wounded soldier evacuated from the battlefield;

• 116th Brigade – case of a soldier’s murder disguised as a suicide.

Earlier, a soldier from Kirovohrad region who deserted his unit claimed there was abuse in the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade near Vovchansk, where he had served since May 2024. The brigade’s command denied the accusations.

Ukrainian media also reported that in the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade of the Support Forces, soldiers were extorted for money if caught drinking alcohol or committing other infractions, and those unwilling to pay were beaten.