Thuggery and rampant abuses in the Ukrainian military: why is it coming to light now?

“On the Barricades” s05e17

In this episode of “On the Barricades,” host Boyan Stanislavski discusses an issue which is surprising to see reported on in the major journal for the pro-Kiev line on the war in Ukraine, the English-language Kyiv Independent. The investigation brings to light a number of crimes committed by Polish mafia thug, Sasha Kuchynsky, is his role as commander of an international legion within the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Before turning the case over to journalists, the battalion’s soldiers attempted to direct complaints of the offences Kuchynsky and his fellow commanders committed – from ordering suicide missions, stealing and selling weapons on the black marekt, and various other abuses – up through the Ukranian law enforcement channels, and finally in a letter to President Zelensky, without receiving a response.

For those following the situation closely, and as Boyan overviews, such thuggish tactics and discontent on the ground are not exceptional but everyday dynamics in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. So why this sharp turn in the pro-West media toward criticizing the authorities who are directing the war?