The State Bureau of Investigation explained the reasons for initiating proceedings against generals and brigade commanders.

The State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) explained why they initiated proceedings against generals and a colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for breaching the border in the Kharkiv region.

According to the communications advisor to the DBR director, Tetiana Sapiyan, this occurred due to public outcry. She noted that the investigation focuses on whether the breach could have been prevented.

Source. The spokesperson made this statement in a comment to Radio Liberty.

Sapiyan explained that at the time, the border breach caused significant public resonance, which, according to her, prompted the DBR to launch an investigation.

“How can such an investigation start? Well, it was no secret that there were questions; a breach occurred, the enemy began to advance, and that was no secret to us,” said the spokesperson.

In response to a follow-up question about whether the DBR had opened criminal proceedings against the commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for all instances of the border breach by Russian troops, she stated: “I can only assert that criminal proceedings have been opened regarding the questions of whether this situation could have been avoided, specifically related to defense.”

She also addressed whether other officials would be held accountable alongside the Armed Forces, including the Commander of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi, former commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces from February to June 2024 Yurii Sodol, or Oleg Synehubov – the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, who were also responsible for the defense of the Kharkiv direction and the construction of fortifications.

Sapiyan stated that such a possibility cannot be ruled out.

On January 20, Yurii Halushkin, the former commander of the 125th Territorial Defense Brigade, Arthur Horbenko, and the former commander of the 415th Battalion of the 23rd Mechanized Brigade, Illia Lapin, were detained on charges of “failing to ensure proper protection of the Kharkiv region during the enemy's offensive in May 2024.”