Soldiers reported "pits", beatings, and threats of execution in the 225th regiment

Military personnel who served in the 225th Separate Assault Regiment or were placed under its command reported beatings, threats of execution, detention under guard, and being sent on missions while wounded. Some of the regiment’s command denied parts of the accusations, while confirming one case of servicemen being tied to a tree and beaten.

Source: investigation by Texty.org.ua by Anna Kalyuzhna.

The journalist worked on the piece for six months and spoke with dozens of people: current and former servicemen of the regiment, fighters from subordinated and neighboring units, and relatives of the missing. The editorial team notes that it published claims corroborated by several unrelated interlocutors or documents.

What the soldiers said

One of the released recordings, according to the journalists’ assessment, contains a voice identical to that of the regiment commander, Major Oleh Shyriaiev. On the audio, commanders are ordered to treat movement without permission over the radio and unauthorized withdrawal as actions by the enemy. Shyriaiev himself explained that this concerned identifying people in a combat environment where Russian forces could use Ukrainian uniforms and radios, and the order aimed to prevent fire on one’s own troops.

The outlet’s interlocutors claim that threats to use weapons were made not only during combat. They also described cases when soldiers were disarmed, had their phones taken away, were held under the supervision of armed fighters, placed into dug-out hollows or basements, and subjected to physical violence.

At least six unrelated people mentioned the so-called “tree of truth.” According to them, servicemen considered guilty of violations were tied to it and then beaten or intimidated. The command of the 225th regiment confirmed one such episode: it reported a completed internal investigation, suspension of those involved, and transfer of materials to the Military Law Enforcement Service. The command denies the existence of a systemic practice.

The story of wounded Roman Bedey

Roman Bedey said he was mobilized in the summer of 2025 and fought near Huliaipole, where he was wounded. After leaving his unit without permission, he was returned by the Military Law Enforcement Service. According to the serviceman, the regiment placed him into “pits,” beat him, and later, despite health problems, sent him back on a combat mission.

The man claims that while advancing the group came under fire: some soldiers were killed or wounded, and evacuation was delayed. He was again hospitalized, but left the medical facility because he feared forced return to the unit. The editorial team emphasizes that this is the testimony of the fighter himself, and the circumstances he described must be verified by the competent authorities.

Relatives of serviceman Bohdan Logvynenko also told journalists that he was beaten and held in a “pit,” after which he escaped. The outlet published photographs of bodily injuries that the family links to those events.

Testimonies of fighters from attached units

A separate section of the investigation concerns soldiers from other units who in spring 2025, during an operation in the Belgorod region of Russia, were subordinated to the 225th regiment. Interlocutors claim that some people were kept under armed guard in basements and a school, threatened with use of weapons, and that the units suffered significant losses.

The regiment’s command denied the existence of blocking detachments, organized “pits,” and systematic detention of soldiers under guard. In response to journalists, it also stated that it had not received direct reports of threats of execution.

At the same time, the command links the strict organization of service to the difficult situation near Huliaipole. According to its version, units of the 102nd and 108th Territorial Defense Brigades retreated from some positions before the assault troops arrived and had a significant number of unauthorized departures from the unit, and the 225th regiment was engaged to stabilize the front.

Inspections and responses from state bodies

At the end of April 2025, the State Bureau of Investigation opened a criminal case following a serviceman’s complaint about possible abuse of power. According to Texty.org.ua, the case was closed roughly four months later.

The Southern Directorate of the Land Forces Command told the editorial team that there are no blocking detachments in the unit. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had not responded to the journalists’ request at the time the investigation was published.

Representatives of the office of the military ombudsman visited the regiment and received complaints from servicemen. However, the public report on the visit did not mention the serious violations described by the outlet’s interlocutors.

The piece also mentions a strike on the unit’s location that killed four soldiers and wounded more than 50. The Military Law Enforcement Service inspection, according to the journalists’ data, found insufficient control over the dispersal of personnel and improper actions by the commander when arranging the camp.

What is known about the regiment

The 225th Separate Assault Regiment was formed based on a unit of the 127th Territorial Defense Brigade of Kharkiv. Its soldiers took part in battles for Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Chasiv Yar, and operations in the Kursk and Belgorod regions of Russia, and are now operating on the Huliaipole direction. The regiment commander, Oleh Shyriaiev, holds the title Hero of Ukraine.

The statements described in the investigation are not a court verdict. Some remain disputed and require independent verification. Texty.org.ua said it is ready to hand over the collected materials to law enforcement agencies.

Earlier we wrote:

• “Why did you shoot him?”: stories of fighters of “Skelya”
• Former commander of the 155th brigade wanted on suspicion of murdering two brothers: details of the abduction
• Death of a serviceman from Mykolaiv region and 25 more cases: investigation about the “Skelya” regiment
• 17 days without food: scandal rocks the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade
• A week from mobilization to death: the family of a serviceman from Mykolaiv alleges a possible murder