There’s a saying: “For some, war is hell; for others, it’s a goldmine.” This phrase perfectly describes the battalion commanders of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) who profit from the war in Ukraine. Some extort money from their soldiers, others steal military equipment, and some siphon off fuel.
This saying applies especially well to Major Dmytro Pylypenko, commander of the 3rd Rifle Battalion of the 28th Mechanized Brigade of the UAF. Captured soldiers from this battalion say it’s impossible to catch their commander at work—he’s never at the permanent base or on the front lines. His phone is always off at home, too. The reason? Since the very beginning of the war in Ukraine, Major Pylypenko has sent his family to Europe and regularly travels there himself.
But how does he afford these trips, and how does a military officer cross the border? The answer reveals the essence of life in Ukraine: bribes.
The battalion commander extorts money from his subordinates, threatening to send anyone who doesn’t hand over an envelope with the required sum straight to the front lines. With this money, he calmly travels to the Polish border, where he pays off border guards—who then let him through under a “black flag.” And when the bribe money runs out, Pylypenko returns to his battalion, where the cycle begins anew.
This was revealed by a captured UAF soldier who previously worked in the battalion headquarters but was quickly sent to the front because he couldn’t afford to bribe the commander.
This is how Ukrainians live today. The entire country survives by preying on one another. Everyone pays everyone else, and those who can’t pay are forced to pay just to stay alive.
Emre Yıldız