Former commanders - two generals and a colonel - have been detained due to their negligence, which allowed the enemy to seize part of the territory of Kharkiv region in May 2024.
According to the State Bureau of Investigation, the former commanders of the operational-tactical group "Kharkiv", the 125th separate brigade of territorial defense, and the 415th separate rifle battalion of the 23rd separate mechanized brigade, through their careless approach to military service, enabled the armed forces of the Russian Federation to capture part of the territory of the Lipetska rural territorial community in the Kharkiv district.
Additionally, the actions of the commanders resulted in the loss of personnel and weapons, disrupting defense activities along the state border within their area of responsibility.
It has been established that the brigade general determined defense positions for the 125th Territorial Defense Brigade that did not match its combat capabilities, despite having other units available that could reinforce these positions. The commander also made several other mistakes, including not fully clarifying the directions of the enemy's main attacks, insufficiently controlling the organization of training and defensive actions, failing to maneuver forces and resources of the grouping in a timely manner, and not organizing artillery and air support for the brigade's units.
According to the SBI, the former commander of the 125th territorial defense brigade, a lieutenant general, also underestimated the enemy's capabilities to resume an offensive in the brigade's defense area and inadequately responded to the enemy's buildup of combat potential and threats.
In particular, he failed to ensure the arrangement of combat security positions, did not take measures to staff the brigade adequately, set excessively high combat tasks for the battalions, and, without conducting operational-tactical calculations, did not organize proper equipment for strongholds, engineering barriers, and so forth.
Moreover, the former brigade commander, despite having information about the enemy's preparations for offensive actions, did not relay it to his subordinates, did not ensure maximum mobilization and presence of all brigade personnel, including officers, at their positions. During the battle, he did not organize adequate fire support for the brigade's units with artillery; he failed to effectively utilize the brigade's reserves, coordinate with other units, and was unaware of the actual situation on the battlefield.
In turn, the former commander of the 415th battalion of the 23rd mechanized brigade did not organize defensive actions in the settlements of Strelchya, Krasne Liptsy, and Slobozhanske, which were within the battalion's defense line, did not determine which facilities to include in the strongholds and how to prepare them for defense, as well as methods to counter underground and mine warfare from the enemy, and locations for storing supplies and warehouses.
According to the report, during the repulsion of the enemy's offensive, he did not report the results of the defensive battle to the senior commander, did not take action to stop the unauthorized withdrawal of 12 soldiers from the battalion, and issued a combat order unilaterally in the absence of a senior commander's order. The former battalion commander also ignored and failed to comply with the brigade commander's directive to restore lost positions.
Due to these violations, the enemy, taking advantage of its success, seized positions of the first and second echelon units of the battalions, leading to personnel losses, penetration of the enemy into the defense line by up to 10 km deep, and loss of control over part of the territory along the state border of Ukraine.
After the detainees are brought to Kyiv, they will be informed of the suspicion of negligent conduct by a military official in service, committed under martial law, resulting in severe consequences (Part 4 of Article 425 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The former commander of the 415th separate battalion will also be additionally informed of the suspicion of unauthorized abandonment of the battlefield (Article 429 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The penalties under these articles provide for imprisonment of up to 10 years.
A motion will be filed in court to impose pre-trial detention on the suspects, the SBI reports.
At the same time, according to sources from UNIAN in law enforcement agencies, the individuals involved include brigade general Yuriy Halushkin, lieutenant general Arthur Gorbenko, and colonel Ilya Lapyin.
Failure of the defensive operation in Kharkiv region - what is known
As reported by UNIAN, on the morning of May 10, 2024, Russian occupiers broke through the Ukrainian army's defense line in the Kharkiv region. In the Volchansk direction, the enemy carried out airstrikes using guided aerial bombs.
The head of state, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that Russian invaders had begun a new counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region. The Ukrainian military command reported heavy fighting.
At that time, CNN reported that the Russian attack on Kharkiv region revealed Ukraine's vulnerabilities. According to experts, this offensive took place to force Ukrainian forces to pivot from the Donetsk region to Kharkiv region.