“Over 200 targets destroyed in a month”: The “Skelya” Regiment assesses the effectiveness of soldiers with injuries and disabilities

8 July 11:26

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Service members who continue to serve after being wounded can effectively carry out their duties in air defense units. This view was expressed by Mykola (“Bukhgalter”), an air defense officer with the “Skelya” Regiment, in an interview with the "Komersant Ukrainian" YouTube channel .

According to the officer, he has repeatedly spoken with soldiers who, after being wounded, wanted to remain in the Armed Forces and continue their service specifically in air defense units.

“I’m really inspired by those guys who, after being wounded—even without an eye—say, ‘I want to keep serving; can I join the air defense?’ A guy sitting there without an arm says, ‘Can I get a prosthetic? I want to stay.’ I feel like society doesn’t need me… I believe that the future of air defense—here in Ukraine—will be the best,” the officer emphasized.

He believes that the motivation of such service members is often very high, and their experience can be useful for carrying out combat missions.

“I have the best guys in my unit. They’re shooting down Shaheds today. Someone might say, ‘But you’re not actually fighting.’ But, excuse me, we shot down 212 of them last month,” he says.

According to the officer, it is precisely the work of the air defense units that makes it possible to reduce the number of Russian aerial targets every day that could reach Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure.

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About “Skelya”

The 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelya” is one of the most famous assault units of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

The unit was formed in 2022 as a volunteer mobile fire group tasked with destroying Russian military equipment and personnel, and was later expanded first into a separate battalion and then into an assault regiment.

“The Rock” specializes in assault, reconnaissance, and offensive operations and employs active defense tactics. The unit participated in the counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region and in battles for Izyum, Soledar, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Vuhledar, and Robotyne, as well as in the Kupiansk, Pokrovsk, and Kramatorsk sectors.

According to open sources, as of 2026, the regiment is one of the largest assault units within the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The unit has been repeatedly commended for successfully carrying out complex combat missions; however, in 2026, it also found itself at the center of public attention following media reports and investigations into possible violations of servicemembers’ rights. The regiment’s command has stated its readiness to cooperate with a comprehensive investigation into the relevant reports.