Russian propaganda sources are spreading a story about a soldier from the 22nd separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who allegedly left the army, returned home, and later killed his partner. The soldier is described as extremely ‘unstable and inadequate’, with his comrades supposedly claiming that he was “on special watch” by his superiors and subjected to physical torture for refusing to contribute to the brigade's ‘needs’.

In reality, this information is false. The incident actually occurred in the Sumy region. On January 15, 2025, the Sumy Regional Police reported the arrest of a man who killed his partner during a conflict that arose between them at a gathering.

However, official resources from the Sumy Regional Police did not mention that the arrested man was a soldier from the 22nd Mechanized Brigade who had left the army. This claim was not found in the local news article from the Dancor Online portal, nor in any other regional resources from Sumy. This is a fabrication by Russian propaganda.

There are also no comments from the command of the 22nd Brigade or the soldier’s comrades regarding the incident, which contradicts the claims made by propagandists. The man was not an active soldier at the time of the incident.

The actions of the suspect were classified under Article 115 (intentional murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He faces up to 15 years in prison for his actions.

In the context of recent news about the mass occurrence of desertion and leaving the army, Russian propagandists are spreading such disinformation to undermine trust in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and create panic within Ukrainian society. To address this issue, in November 2024, the Verkhovna Rada passed Law No. 12095 on voluntary return to service for those who first left their military units or deserted.

Earlier, we analyzed Russian disinformation claiming that a soldier who left the army found and raped a police officer who had previously mobilized him.