Retreat of Ukraine's 125th Brigade from Kharkiv Oblast: State Investigation Bureau summoned commanders from combat action for interrogations

In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Lieutenant General Artur Horbenko has revealed that Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) began to distract the command of the Territorial Defence Forces' 125th Separate Brigade, which retreated in the early days of Russia's repeated assault in Kharkiv Oblast, when its fighters were still in positions, between 10 and 15 May.

Source: Lieutenant General Artur Horbenko, the former commander of the Territorial Defence Forces' 125th Independent Brigade, in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "From 10 to 15 May, the brigade was still in combat, and I was commanding my troops’ operations. Yet the State Bureau of Investigation started distracting me, my officers, subordinates, soldiers, and sergeants from battalions that were fighting on the front line... I believe that was wrong.

Plus, I don't remember when the official investigation was launched, but on 15 May, the order to dismiss me from my position had already been issued. Without any explanation! The inquiry had only just started, the SBI was doing its work, but the brigade commander had already been stripped of his duties and assigned to the commander's reserve."

Details: After 15 May, Horbenko was ordered to transfer four battalions from his command (two of his own and two from other units) to that of the 42nd and 92nd brigades. Horbenko himself and the brigade's command, which numbered around 30 persons, were detained in Kharkiv for two weeks and regularly summoned for interrogations.

Quote: "Imagine: there’s a war on, there are a lot of problems, there aren't enough officers, and the brigade's entire leadership stays in Kharkiv for over two weeks doing nothing. I believe that was wrong. I think we should have been deployed to our units, along with the brigade's command, and the esteemed investigators should have come to us and worked with us there.

There’s a war going on a couple of dozen kilometres away, hostilities are taking place, and we’re just sitting around… As a brigade commander, I found it extremely humiliating, to be honest."

Background: In late May it was reported, citing materials from the Court Register, that the SBI was conducting an investigation into the actions of the command of the 125th Brigade and units seconded to it for allegedly failing to properly organise the defence of positions on Kharkiv Oblast’s border with Russia, resulting in the loss of positions, military equipment and personnel.

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