Fedorov says Skelia allegations show Ukraine must end ‘culture of lies’
Fedorov stated that he was not involved in the investigations into the Skelia regiment. (Photo: Video screenshot / Public)
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov responded to the scandal around the Skelia Regiment and said he is not responsible for what is happening there.
“There is constant lying about me, claiming that I ordered the investigation into Skelia,” Fedorov said at a briefing on the results of his work.
“I did not create Skelia or other units, and I am not responsible for what is happening there. It is a lie that I launched a media campaign against Skelia and so on.”
Fedorov said Ukraine has developed a “culture of lies” that must be eradicated.
“Otherwise, we will not be able to defeat the enemy, where the same thing is happening in the system,” he said.
“The solution is personnel changes involving both the commander-in-chief and the chief of the General Staff.”
Ukraine’s parliament is expected to vote on a number of ministerial appointments in Serhiy Koretskyi’s new government on July 16.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is expected to be replaced, with Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko proposed for the post.
Rallies in support of Fedorov are taking place in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Lviv on July 16.
Noncombat deaths in Skelia: What is known
The public outcry around the Skelia Regiment began after Babel published an investigation that collected detailed data on a large number of deaths among servicemembers in the unit from late fall 2025 to spring 2026.
The investigation reported at least 26 deaths among recruits that were not directly related to combat operations on the front line.
According to the outlet, most of the mobilized men died shortly after being drafted from severe forms of pneumonia, cardiovascular complications and other illnesses.
Some relatives of the deceased publicly alleged possible failure by the unit’s leadership to provide proper medical care, as well as individual cases of physical violence.
The regiment categorically denied the most serious allegations.
At the same time, Skelia officials said some of the problems described in the article had allegedly been resolved several months earlier and said the unit was fully ready to cooperate with any inspections into the issues raised in the publication.
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said the same day that he had taken personal control of the review of information about possible torture of soldiers in Skelia.
To address the crisis, the ombudsman held a special working meeting with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
A special monitoring group from the Ombudsman’s Office was then immediately sent to the unit’s location to carry out a thorough inspection.
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