Karat Vitaliy — Skelia, 25.02-14.03.2026
Chronology
- 25.02.2026 - Vitaliy Karat was mobilized by the Kolomyia district TCC and SP.
- According to his sister Olesia Piskunova, the family initially did not know where he was; later Vitaliy said he had been sent to the 425th Skelia regiment and, according to him, had not passed a military medical board.
- 11.03.2026 - according to his sister, Vitaliy called from someone else's phone and said he had been beaten and was in a hospital in Pavlohrad.
- 12.03.2026 - he was transferred to a medical facility in Dnipro.
- 14.03.2026 - Vitaliy Karat died.
Circumstances of the incident
His sister said that Vitaliy had spoken while alive about systematic beatings, was in serious condition on oxygen, and had bruises and injuries. Suspilne reported that the family later declined to comment in more detail on a lawyer's advice.
After the case drew attention, Skelia representative Andrii Surai presented a different version: during an evening roll call, Karat was searched for at the training ground, found in a pine tree, persuaded to climb down, and then fell. Under this version, he was later sent to a hospital with suspected pneumonia; rib fractures were recorded in hospital, while the unit, according to the representative, no longer controlled events after the transfer to the medical facility. This is recorded as the unit's position, not as an established fact.
Investigation status
Skelia's representative said that the unit was cooperating with investigators. No public final findings on the cause of death were found.
Sources
Primary sources
- Suspilne - Deaths in Skelia: five soldiers from Ivano-Frankivsk region died before serving two weeks - 17.05.2026
- Suspilne - Skelia serviceman Vitaliy Karat from Ivano-Frankivsk region died in hospital - 19.03.2026
- Mezha - Assault regiment Skelia explained the circumstances of Vitaliy Karat's death - 26.05.2026