Why did Ukraine suspend personnel reinforcements for assault regiments?

According to statements from the 425th Separate Assault Regiment 'Skelia', the General Staff launched a review of personnel distribution and staffing across the Armed Forces of Ukraine, leading to a temporary suspension of reinforcements.

Which units are affected by the decision?

Sources indicate the suspension affects assault regiments, including the 425th Separate Assault Regiment 'Skelia' and the 225th Separate Assault Regiment, which had previously been able to recruit continuously.

Are any personnel transfers still permitted?

According to the report, an exception remains for service members who went AWOL before June 12 and return through the Army+ application.

Drapatyi Suspends Assault Regiment Reinforcement

The assault regiments of the Ukrainian Ground Forces received an order from newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapatyi, to suspend personnel reinforcements starting on July 26.

The information was later confirmed by Oleksii Bratushchak, spokesperson for the Skelia Assault Regiment, according to Ukrainska Pravda report, citing sources in four assault regiments.

One of the sources said that the assault regiments are now prohibited from receiving personnel from reserve battalions or from Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers (TCRSCs), meaning newly mobilized recruits.

Another source said that transfers of service members from other military units to the assault regiments have also been suspended. The only remaining exception allows personnel who went AWOL before June 12 to return through the Army+ app.

The 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelia” confirmed that the intake of new recruits has been put on hold. The information was confirmed by Oleksii Bratushchak, head of the regiment’s communications department, in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine.

“We can confirm the information reported by Ukrainska Pravda that, as of now, the recruitment of new personnel into our regiment has been put on hold. We understand why this decision was made. The General Staff has launched an inspection of how military units are staffed and whether personnel are being distributed fairly across the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Bratushchak said.

Ukrainska Pravda notes that this is the first decision by Ukraine’s top military command to restrict assault regiments from receiving additional personnel. Until now, at least two of them — the 225th and 425th Separate Assault Regiments — had exclusive authority to continuously recruit and expand, the outlet reports. In particular, the Skelia Regiment, which is structurally a regiment and would normally have around 3,000 – 4,000 personnel, had reportedly grown to more than 10,000 service members.

Earlier, investigative reports about the Skelia Regiment and the 225th Separate Assault Regiment were published in the media. Among other findings, they alleged non-combat deaths of new recruits in Skelia as well as abuse within both regiments.

EMPR