The Office of the Military Ombudsman has initiated a large-scale investigation into the 425th Separate Assault Regiment ‘Skelya’ due to a number of fatalities from pneumonia among service members. The investigation primarily concerns issues related to medical care within the unit.
This is reported by Finway
Large-Scale Investigation and Identified Problems
First Deputy Military Ombudsman Ruslan Tsygankov reported that specialists conducted visits to the military unit to analyze the situation. According to him, systemic problems in the area of medical care for the soldiers of the ‘Skelya’ regiment have been identified.
“We currently have a global investigation, including regarding medical care specifically in ‘Skelya’. We have made visits directly to the military unit. I hope that the results will be quite effective. In the context of medical care for service members who serve specifically in ‘Skelya’, we see a significant systemic problem.”
According to Tsygankov, five soldiers in the unit have died from pneumonia. One of the most notable cases was the death of 34-year-old Vitaliy Saltan, which received widespread media coverage.
Circumstances of the Soldier’s Death
Vitaliy Saltan, a resident of Kropyvnytskyi, was mobilized at the end of January and was undergoing training in the 425th Brigade ‘Skelya’ in the city of Kamianske in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. A few days after his arrival, he fell ill – symptoms of coughing and fever appeared. Later, he was hospitalized; however, according to relatives, this happened too late – by the time he was delivered to the hospital, Vitaliy’s condition was critical: his blood oxygen saturation was very low, and he could barely breathe on his own.
The official cause of death was determined to be pneumonia resistant to most antibiotics. Meanwhile, the soldier’s family disagrees with this version and insists on a repeat forensic examination, pointing to the untimely provision of medical assistance.
The military unit assures that all sick individuals received the necessary medical care in a timely manner. Final conclusions regarding the circumstances of Vitaliy Saltan’s death and those of other deceased soldiers have not yet been made – the Ombudsman’s Office continues to investigate all details, including through interviews with medical personnel from the facilities where the soldiers were treated.