"There are no ’our own’, ’our own’ are also the enemy": Fighters accused the command of the 225th SAR of torture and orders to shoot at their own

"There are no ’our own’, ’our own’ are also the enemy": Fighters accused the command of the 225th SAR of torture and orders to shoot at their own

A major scandal has erupted online around the 225th Separate Assault Regiment following the publication of soldiers’ testimonies about systematic abuses and cruel punishments by the command. Servicemen were allegedly subjected to torture, held in improvised basements, and ordered to eliminate comrades who abandoned their positions.

This was reported by journalist Anna Kalyuzhna.

According to the published testimonies of the servicemen, the unit practiced physical violence, tying soldiers to the “tree of truth,” and illegally holding people in so-called pits. In addition, reports emerged of orders to open fire on fighters who retreated from positions without a corresponding command.

An intercepted audio message from the command was released in support of these accusations.

The audio recording contains the following order: “Commander, attention. On our own, I remind you, there are no ‘our own.’ There is only a specific request via radio and permission to move. Everything else is the enemy. Everything that moves is the enemy. All those who run from positions, deserters — they are also the enemy. Follow this rule. On our own who run, without authorization… And, damn it, hold the lines, because otherwise we can retreat all the way to Kyiv. So stop retreating.”

The regiment commander Oleh Shyryayev denied the accusations regarding the existence of “pits” and the use of “blocking detachments.” At the same time, he confirmed the incident involving tying a serviceman to a tree, adding that the individuals involved had already been suspended from duty and handed over to the Military Law Enforcement Service.