Ukrainian nurse calls for probe into 59th brigade commander

“In order to examine the situation in the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakov Handziuk and to understand the circumstances of recent personnel losses, the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has decided to travel to the zone of common responsibility with a composite working group," reported the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Monday morning.

This statement was published after a scandal broke out due to reports of irregularities in the unit.

It all started with a post by volunteer nurse Kateryna Polishchuk. Among others, she defended Azovstal in Mariupol. She called on President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to conduct an official investigation into the actions of the commander of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, Bohdan Shevchuk.

The nurse had been in the combat zone for over a year, shoulder to shoulder with the 59th Brigade. She claims that changes in the command were related to family connections.

“Since thousands of soldiers remained to perform combat duties in the war zone under Shevchuk, I ask you, Mr. Commander, to pay attention and conduct an official verification of punitive orders, deliberate neglect, disregard for the life and health of personnel, actions that led to the death of a large number of military personnel, including those in high-ranking positions, egoism, blind careerism, removal of all 'disagreeing' commanders, suppression of morale, and humiliation of personnel by the total indifference to the main goal of military personnel and his role as a commander in the war against the enemy," the nurse accuses.

Polishchuk added that due to the “inhuman and unprofessional attitude of Shevchuk I am forced to stop cooperating with this infamous gang, and not everyone has the possibility to oppose criminal orders, which are aimed solely at earning additional stars for this man."

In conclusion, she appealed: “Please take action and remove from making important military decisions those who are not interested in protecting personnel, completing tasks, and winning. Military honor and officer honor are not empty words. At least they should not be."

The nurse’s post, followed by nearly 50,000 people, quickly spread across the country and caused a real stir. This is another situation where a rank-and-file soldier openly stands against the command.

In mid-June, the Chief of Staff of the Azov Brigade of the National Guard, Bohdan Krotewycz, turned to the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine (SBI) to investigate General Sodol.

“In my opinion, he has killed (with his decisions - ed.) more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general. While giving testimonies in cases about which I cannot speak, I talked about, in my opinion, committed war crimes," Krotevych wrote on Telegram.

Shortly after, Zelensky dismissed the general and personally went to his commanding unit.

“Sodol did not value the personnel. Neither officers nor soldiers," later said a marine infantry soldier who participated in the fights near Krynyky in an interview with liga.net. He recalled that the marines were sent to attack until the last moment. Dozens, if not hundreds of soldiers, were dying," he recalled in a shocking account.