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By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
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Several Ukrainian army officers have reportedly been arrested and charged with negligence linked to Russia's operation in Ukraine's Kharkiv region last May, which saw Moscow make large gains.
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) detained two generals and a colonel, according to the news outlet Censor.NET. The details of the charges are not yet clear, but one commander was arrested for not informing the authorities about a mass desertion of troops, Ukrainian outlet Suspilne reported.
The arrests raised questions about whether there is a real attempt to seek justice or a political move underway to deflect the blame for Ukraine's battlefield challenges, which include troop shortages and problems with mobilization. Newsweek contacted the Ukraine's SBI and Censor.NET. for comment.
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Ukrainian veteran Viktor Kovalenko told Newsweek that the era of accountability for military officers regarding desertion in their units had begun.
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What to Know
Russia's armed forces breached Ukraine's defenses in Kharkiv Oblast on May 10, 2024, prompting an SBI investigation into the security failure, which handed Russia its biggest territorial gains in 18 months.
In the wake of the setback, General Artur Horbenko, commander of the 125th Territorial Defense Brigade, resigned from his post on June 17, 2024.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Yurii Butusov, editor-in-chief of Ukrainian outlet Censor.NET, wrote that Horbenko, his deputy and two other officers could be punished.
Butusov said Colonel Dmitry Ryumshin, the former commander of Ukraine's 155th Mechanized Brigade, had been detained in the city of Chernivtsi, although the details of the charges are not yet known.
Authorities are reportedly also preparing to charge the former commander of the Kharkiv Operational-Tactical Group, Brigadier General Yuriy Halushkin.
In January 2025, Butusov alleged problems within the 155th Mechanized Brigade, such as widespread unauthorized desertions, command breakdowns and weaponry shortages, the New Voice of Ukraine reported.
Next to images of an office being raided, Ukraine's Prosecutor's Office said on Monday that an ex-commander of the 155th brigade had been arrested over mass desertions that were allegedly not reported to the authorities.
The officer was not named, although Suspilne said that it was Ryumshin, citing law enforcement sources.
Ukraine's General Prosecutor's Office said in November more than 100,000 soldiers had been charged under desertion laws since the start of the conflict.
Kovalenko, who writes the Ukraine Decoded substack newsletter, told Newsweek that mid-level commanders were responsible for discipline in their units and should be held accountable for violations of the law, but the real issue remains the low morale and patriotism of recent conscripts.
What People Are Saying
Butusov said: "Halushkin and (General Artur) Horbenko will be suspected of service negligence, in connection with the failure of defense and the loss of control of the troops in the Kharkiv direction on May 10, 2024."
Kovalenko told Newsweek: "The era of accountability for Ukrainian military officers regarding desertion in their units just began.
"The true reason of growing desertions lays in low morale and patriotism of recent conscripts who never wanted to defend their homeland and were caught and forced to do that. Ukraine is running out of the mobilization reserve, and this is much bigger issue than violations of a few officers."
What Happens Next
It is unclear if more officers could face charges, but regardless of the debate over whether negotiations will end hostilities, Ukraine will continue to face challenges to replenish its troop numbers.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told Ukrainian outlet TSN that the current mobilization efforts are not sufficient and that Kyiv must increase the number of personnel in the mechanized brigade, which will be the focus for Kyiv in the coming months.
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