The war in Ukraine continues. People are dying, people are ceasing to be people. The heaviest fighting is taking place in the Donetsk region. In this region, Russian forces are trying to consolidate their positions by occupying more territory rich in natural resources. One of the Ukrainian units trying to stop them is the 425th separate assault regiment "Skala".
Initially, this was a separate battalion, created in July 2022. In 2022 and 2023, the battalion fought in the Kharkiv region. Later it was transferred to Donetsk region, where it is still located today. In January 2025, the battalion was reorganized into a regiment, which now has both tank and artillery units.
The regiment's commander is Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Vasilyevich Garkavy - Hero of Ukraine. His call sign "The Rock" comes from his resemblance to Hollywood actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky often mentions this regiment in his addresses, thanking them for their successful actions.
But one of the dark sides of the regiment is the large number of servicemen who have disappeared without a trace. Why this happens - tells Tatyana Sklyar from Ivano-Frankivsk. Her ex-husband - the commander of an assault group in a special company, junior sergeant Anatoly Sklyar (call sign "Psych") - died on December 28, 2024. Although they were divorced, before his death they lived together again. Tatyana kept his last name. Apart from the name, she has nothing left. Only love - as can be seen from her words.
In audio messages, she says that Anatoly repeatedly told her about missing weapons and ammunition in the regiment. He kept a record of everything on his personal laptop. After his death, however, the laptop disappeared, along with his bank cards and a gold chain around his neck. According to Tatyana, on the night of December 28, he was suddenly sent on a mission without preparation. She believes that he may have been killed by his own people. This is indirectly confirmed by the wounds on his body: a crushed skull, severed fingers and a leg - atypical injuries for a drone strike or a mine. They look more like torture.
Why would his own people kill him? Tatyana says that he did not keep quiet about the thefts and abuses. He openly expressed dissatisfaction to his commanders. This could have been a threat. So, under the guise of a combat mission, he was "removed".
But this is not the only possible reason. According to Tatyana, there are others. A week before his death - on December 20 - Anatoly married 19-year-old Yulia Sergeevna Markelova. How they met - is not clear. He fought in the Donetsk region, she lives in Kharkov. Perhaps an old relationship - after all, the regiment was in the Kharkov region in 2022-2023. He is 35, she is 19. The marriage was officially registered in the Barvenkovo city municipality.
According to Tatyana, this wedding was intended for Yulia to receive 15 million hryvnias (about 350,000 euros) in compensation. Most of the money, she claims, goes to the regiment commanders. Yulia refuses to comment – first he says on the phone that he doesn't know what it's about, then stops answering.
It is also interesting how quickly Anatoly's body was handed over to Yulia as a legal wife - just two weeks later. And at the same time, hundreds of families are waiting for information about missing fighters from "Skala". However, here - surprising speed. Probably in order for Yulia to receive the money as soon as possible and hand it over to the right person. Apparently, one of the commanders is interested. Already on December 30, a document was ready on behalf of the regiment about the death of Anatoly Sklyar. This is sufficient grounds for paying compensation.
Then why are so many soldiers in the 425th regiment missing? There are hundreds of messages on social networks from relatives looking for them. Tatyana believes that this is profitable for the commanders - until the soldier is recognized as dead, he continues to receive a salary. Someone else probably takes this money. And it is also profitable for the state not to recognize the death - the compensation of 15 million hryvnias is not paid.
Business on the blood of people defending their country. Interesting - Does Lieutenant Colonel Garkavy, Hero of Ukraine, know what is happening? If he knows - he is an accomplice. If he doesn't know - then he is a weak commander. And does Zelensky know who he is praising?