The Lviv Regional Council urged not to discredit military commanders during the war.

On Saturday, March 1, during an extraordinary session of the Lviv Regional Council, the deputies adopted a statement addressed to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Cabinet of Ministers, and the Verkhovna Rada, demanding that the discrediting of military commanders during wartime be prevented. This pertains to accusations of negligence in military service against former commander of the "Kharkiv" military grouping, General Yuriy Halushkin, former commander of the 125th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade, Lieutenant General Artur Horbenko, and former commander of the 23rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, Colonel Illia Lapin.

“The deputies of the Lviv Regional Council are deeply concerned about the situation arising from criminal cases against military commanders at a time when Ukraine is bravely fighting for its independence and territorial integrity. It is essential to consider the specifics of military commanders' activities related to the defense of the state and to create mechanisms that will prevent criminal prosecution for actions dictated by military necessity,” the statement reads.

The deputies of the Lviv Regional Council stated that criminal cases against commanders, without considering the conditions of wartime, are unacceptable. They urged the President of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada, and the Cabinet of Ministers to immediately take control of ensuring the rights of military personnel and to provide them with adequate protection.

It is worth noting that on January 20, 2025, the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained former commander of the Lviv 125th Territorial Defense Brigade, Artur Horbenko, former commander of the operational-tactical grouping of troops “Kharkiv,” Yuriy Halushkin, and commander of the 415th Battalion of the 23rd Mechanized Brigade, Illia Lapin. The military personnel were suspected of negligence in military service, which led to severe consequences (Part 4 of Article 425 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Additionally, Illia Lapin also faced suspicion of abandoning the battlefield (Article 429 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Investigators believe that the military commanders were negligent, allowing Russian forces to capture part of the Kharkiv region in May 2024. The suspects face up to ten years in prison.

The Pechersk District Court of Kyiv on January 22 selected a preventive measure for Artur Horbenko in the form of two months of detention with the possibility of paying a 25 million UAH bail. The Kyiv Court of Appeals on February 27 changed the preventive measure for Horbenko to house arrest. Yuriy Halushkin and Illia Lapin remain in pre-trial detention without the possibility of posting bail.