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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The army corps "Khartia" joined the "Advocate+" program launched by former Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak. And this sparked a loud scandal.
Main points: Essence of the scandal: The army corps "Khartia" joined the legal support program "Advocate+" launched by Yermak, who is implicated in an NABU case. Internal criticism: Khartia servicemember and writer Serhiy Zhadan publicly condemned the cooperation, comparing Yermak to Medvedchuk. Command position: Commander Ihor Obolensky said Yermak helped create "Khartia," and emphasized that participation in the support program is voluntary. What happened: Yesterday a post appeared on Khartia’s Facebook page saying that all 8 units of the army corps had joined "Advocate+." "This means that six brigades and two regiments will have an even more reliable legal rear. The initiative’s lawyers are already starting work with Khartia members. Thanks for the cooperation to the National Association of Advocates of Ukraine and the relevant committee led by Andriy Yermak," the post read. Such cooperation between the corps and the former Head of the Office of the President, who has a suspicion from NABU, provoked outrage first on social media, but later discontent was expressed even within the brigade itself. Who is criticizing: A loud statement about the cooperation with Yermak was issued today by writer Serhiy Zhadan, who is currently a servicemember of "Khartia." "Personally, I don’t see a difference between lawyer Yermak and lawyer Medvedchuk. I wouldn’t want this person to represent me," Zhadan wrote on his Facebook page. In his view, the corps should "communicate this story correctly and openly." "Khartia is the experience and work of thousands of fighters and commanders that cannot be devalued or foolishly denied," Zhadan added. How the command is responding: Corps commander Ihor Obolensky responded to the criticism in a Facebook post. According to him, Yermak is one of those who supported "Khartia" from its inception. "At one time, in the 2023 year, Andriy Yermak was one of those who opened doors for us to create the unit and helped with its provision. He helped convince the president that an effective unit could grow out of a volunteer formation—one worth investing in. For me, remembering help and support is a sign of decency and humanity, regardless of position or even reputational challenges," Obolensky said. He also added that the "Advocate+" program is voluntary, so Khartia service members can decide for themselves whether to use it. The corps is also open to other legal support programs for the military. What the founder of "Khartia" says: The scandal around "Khartia" was also commented on by the unit’s founder, Vsevolod Kozhemyako. On his Facebook page he noted that Yermak often "travels among units" in the combat zone, but only "Khartia" openly communicated this. And that was the decision of the corps commander. "Commanders of military units must take various steps outside combat operations to improve the supply of their battalion, brigade, corps and bring that supply at least to 10-15% of need. Therefore I am not going to condemn the corps command, or sprinkle my head with ashes myself," Kozhemyako wrote. He also urged critics not to disparage the people "to whom they spoke respectfully yesterday." "Because Khartia’s reputation was built over years and hundreds of battles, by hard work, valor and the blood of people who carried out and carry out orders thanks to trust in their commanders," Kozhemyako concluded.
Read also: Yermak’s preventive measure was changed: what the court decided
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Довкола "Хартії" розгорівся скандал через Єрмака: що відомо та як реагує корпус". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: RBC-Ukraine.
