“We came here to help people fight for their country, to fight against the occupation here. “We are not here to do the same thing the Russians did on Ukrainian soil,” a Brazilian volunteer from the International Legion said in a comprehensive report published Thursday by Ukrainian website The Kyiv Independent.

Its correspondents focused on the experiences of foreign volunteers who came to the country practically from the first days of Russian aggression in February of this year. They reported that they lived in the hands of the Ukrainian command. They talked about forced looting, harassment, and especially how the commanders sent them on unprepared subversive missions.

The Brazilian lieutenant works in one of the International Legion groups that fall under Ukrainian intelligence. And – like other foreign soldiers with whom journalists spoke – he is largely dissatisfied with the behavior of the command. She describes him as “suicidal” and “immoral”.

The men attribute the injustice to the volunteers from abroad to a few outstanding people standing at their head – intelligence officer Taras Vašuk Sr., his nephew Taras Vašuk Jr. (also an intelligence officer) and Saš Kuchynský, who led the unit.

An American who served on several combat missions near Mykolaiv, Ukraine, described his experiences with the Ukrainian legionnaire command. The report describes how his unit was discovered by Russian soldiers and began shooting at them. But the other group behind them withdrew instead of helping. They were alone on the front line.

“They literally just left us there and didn’t want to evacuate us,” he says. His comrade Scott Sibley died in this encounter. The other three were also seriously injured, he explains.

After the rest managed to survive and return, another group was tasked with going to the venue. “We said that the command posts were discovered by the Russians… If we go back there, we will die,” the American recalls. Old Taras Vašuk did not pay attention to this. Indeed, another group attacked the positions and history repeated itself – four soldiers killed, several wounded and one captured.

According to testimony, Saša Kuchynskyj, a man with a rich criminal history who lived in Poland and managed to occupy a high position in the Ukrainian army, took even worse steps. The soldiers describe him in the article as a frequent drinker who abused his subordinates. There are gun threats, taunts, and lewd comments against women from the medical team.

“Sasha called Taras for confirmation that she could do whatever she wanted. And Taras always stood up for her,” recalls a volunteer from Scandinavia.

The Brazilian was sent by Kuchynskyj along with others on a suicide mission in Severodonetsk. The lieutenant describes how he, along with others, prepared for two weeks at first for a demining operation that included technical training, but was then sent into battle with others without explanation or preparation. He said the orders they received were inconsistent.

Another story was brought up by a Canadian soldier, to whom Kuchynskyj was given a controversial task in early June – to go to the front line at the local shopping center in Lysyčansk and buy goods from there. “I heard directly that Sasha Kuchynskyj ordered the other soldiers in the group to enter the mall and collect furniture, electronics and anything valuable as soon as possible,” the statement said.

“The locals saw us putting the furniture in and it bothered me. It was like we were peeling them off. That’s why I didn’t come to Ukraine,” a Colombian soldier testified about the incident.

Therefore, some refused the order, as evidenced by the video attached to the article by the Kyiv Independent. According to the soldiers, such a mission was no exception for Kuchynský.

The Foreign Legionnaires further explain how they witnessed the suspicious movement of guns in possession of Kuchynskyj.

“During my stay in Severodonetsk, a camouflaged civilian vehicle with a thermal camera arrived,” the Colombian said. But they didn’t go among the soldiers because they weren’t supposed to be there. Meanwhile, Saša Kuchynskyj suggested to the military personnel of the International Legion to buy these thermal cameras for $300,” he added.

After the soldiers’ testimony, the journalists decided to confront Kuchynský. However, he refused to testify. “It is the duty of the Military Prosecutor’s Office to deal with these matters,” he said over the phone. “No comment. I’m busy,” he added and hung up.

Ukrainian journalists say that the soldiers decided to speak mainly because they had not yet received support at any military or political level.

Initially, they did not want to publish or publicly disclose management-related issues.

Presidential Commissioner for Soldiers’ Rights Alyona Verbytska told the Kyiv Independent newspaper that she had already informed her superiors about the complaint. However, commanders and legislators have so far refused to comment on the case.

Some foreign soldiers decided to leave Ukraine because of the behavior of their superiors. Those who remain see reform as the only solution under the newly formed leadership.

“I had a very, very, very pleasant experience with everyone in the Ukrainian army except Sasha and Taras,” one of the American soldiers said about the current situation, for example.

The Kyiv Independent presenter was able to get the statement based on an interview with the legionnaires, written testimonies from dozens of current and former members, and the 78-page report they put together. Their identities were kept secret due to possible threats.