The SBI head Oleksiy Sukhachev says the Bureau has registered a criminal case about threats against Babel journalists after the article about the “Skelya” regiment. In return, the editorial office received an official refusal.
On July 7, the State Bureau of Investigation refused to register a statement by Babel journalists regarding threats from a soldier of the “Skelya” regiment Mykola “Kyianyn” Kharkhan. Having received a statement from the editor-in-chief of the publication Kateryna Kobernyk, and journalist Kateryna Lykhohliad, SBI did not enter information about her in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Decisions to initiate an investigation or further resolve the issue of criminal responsibility, but only announced that it would forward the statement to the National Police.
The editorial office received a similar refusal upon its first appeal to the State Bureau of Investigation, in which it reported the threats and asked to provide journalists with protection.
The very next day, July 8, the head of the State Bureau of Investigation Oleksiy Sukhachev said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine that the agency had indeed received an official notification about the threats against the journalist: "We have registered a criminal case and will verify this information, communicate directly with the media representative and the military, because pressure and threats are unacceptable."
The editorial office also filed a statement about the threats with the National Police. But due to the lack of response, it filed a complaint about the investigatorʼs inaction.
Whatʼs happening at "Skelya"
On June 23, Babel published a major investigation into the situation in the 425th Assault Regiment “Skelya”. We interviewed more than 30 witnesses, mostly relatives of those mobilized to “Skelya”, as well as a dozen soldiers from the regiment who escaped or are still serving there. Babel identified 25 deaths in the regiment’s training centers over the past six months, and also described cases of torture and abuse of those undergoing training.
Following the Babel material, the State Bureau of Investigation launched a pre-trial investigation into the facts made public by Babel. The regiment is staffed by a mission from the Ombudsmanʼs Office and a comprehensive commission headed by the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On June 24, the commander of the 425th regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Yuriy Harkavy, was suspended from duty for the duration of the inspection.
On June 25, a serviceman from “Skelya” Mykola “Kyainyn” Kharkhan recorded a video threatening Babel. He called the Babel journalist who prepared an investigation into the deaths and torture in “Skelya” a “journalist whore”, and Babel itself a “Russian office publication” working for [Russian] cash, and stated that the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine can defend themselves and “will have to vomit money”.
Commenting on this situation, communications officer of "Skelya" Oleksiy Bratuschak stated that threats to journalists are unacceptable, but servicemen also have the right to freedom of speech.
On July 7, Babel discovered seven more deaths of mobilized soldiers during exercises in “Skelya”. Six of them, like the previous 25, occurred within six months — from the end of autumn 2025 to the spring of 2026. One — in the summer of last year.
Most of the mobilized soldiers died after spending less than a month in the regiment. In total, from the end of autumn last year to the spring of 2026, the editorial office recorded 31 deaths.
The head of the State Bureau of Investigation Oleksiy Sukhachev stated that before the Babel material, the State Bureau of Investigation had not received information about possible torture in “Skelya” either from the command or from other services.
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