Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Nine soldiers from the brigade have already been detained.
The Ukrainian military reported on July 11 that Stanislav Luchanov, the former commander of the 155th “Anne of Kyiv” Brigade, faces charges of kidnapping and murder alongside several of his soldiers.
According to the Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske, law enforcement sources said that a group of seven people broke into a property in Kyiv Oblast during the night of June 27–28.
They kidnapped two brothers, and sources told Ukrainska Pravda that the victims were taken to Poltava Oblast and killed. Nine soldiers from the brigade have already been detained.
Earlier today, on Monday, July 13, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that a tenth suspect had been detained. The timing corresponds with reports from the Prosecutor General’s Office stating that Luchanov had been apprehended in Kyiv.
Military police announced that the former commander and the other suspects face serious charges.
“As a result of the operations, the former commander of the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade … and all currently identified participants in the crime have been charged with committing criminal offenses related to illegal detention and intentional murder,” the military police said in a post on Telegram.
Demanding full accountability
In response to the crisis, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi ordered internal security and local police to investigate the unit’s actions.
The General Staff confirmed that all servicemembers connected to the case have been suspended.
Top officials have promised that no one will escape justice. “If the investigation proves guilt, those responsible will be held accountable for each crime committed, regardless of their position or previous merits,” the General Staff stated in a post on Telegram.
This scandal comes at a difficult time. Ukraine is currently dealing with a severe manpower crisis after more than four years of intense fighting.
Luchanov previously served in another unit that was investigated for abuse before taking over the 155th Brigade in February 2026. This flagship brigade, trained by French forces, has faced ongoing scandals and desertions.
