Paramedic counted command
Kyiv draws conclusions after allegations against brigade leadership
26.07.2024, 21:50
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In the Ukrainian army, a medic quits her job in a brigade and criticizes its leadership. The appeal addressed to President Zelensky quickly spreads and an investigation is carried out from the very top. The result is now in.
After the massive accusations made by a medic against the leadership of the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade, the Ukrainian army has drawn conclusions following an investigation. Decisions and factors were identified “that could negatively affect the course of combat missions,” said a statement from the Armed Forces’ Military Law Enforcement Service. Measures have therefore been taken to prevent such cases. Individual officers of the brigade command will be held accountable.
However, no cases were identified “in which criminal orders were given,” the law enforcement service said. Previously, the well-known medic Kateryna Polishchuk had severely criticized the military leadership around Bohdan Shevchuk and asked President Zelensky for help in a letter. Shortly afterwards, a working group was sent to the brigade’s area of ​​responsibility to investigate the allegations.
Among other things, Polishchuk spoke of criminal orders, deliberate negligence and disregard for the lives of soldiers, which led to high losses. She also reported on egoism and careerism.
Medic no longer works in the brigade
Polishchuk herself had ended her cooperation with the brigade because of the conditions she described. In 2022, the medic was one of the defenders of the Azovstal steelworks, many of whom were taken prisoner of war after weeks of fighting against Russian superiority. She gained international attention through a video in which she sang in the underground bunkers of Azovstal. After her release from captivity, she became a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance.
Presumably because of her high profile and the seriousness of the allegations, her letter was shared thousands of times on social networks. She herself shared there A little later, she said that she had received many requests for interviews. However, her aim was not to “make a name for herself” and report on television, but to draw attention to the problem, which she had succeeded in doing.
According to her own statements, Polishchuk also faced accusations of not having sufficient professional training and experience to make her accusations to the military leadership. She responded that she had spent half of her service in the trenches and had a lot of military experience, which was enough to turn to people with special training and authority with her findings.