Key facts
- Stanislav Luchanov, former commander of Ukraine's 155th Brigade, was ordered into pretrial detention for 60 days.
- He is suspected of organizing the kidnapping and murder of brothers Maksym and Roman Moseichuk.
- Prosecutors allege Luchanov ordered the brothers taken to a military base and later executed.
- Luchanov denies the charges and claims he is cooperating with investigators.
- His defense claims a lack of direct evidence and points to other potential suspects.
A Kyiv Oblast court has ordered Stanislav Luchanov, the former commander of Ukraine's 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade, to be held in pretrial detention for 60 days without bail. Luchanov faces charges related to the alleged kidnapping and murder of two civilians, brothers Maksym and Roman Moseichuk, from the village of Kalynivka.
Prosecutors claim that Luchanov, a lieutenant colonel, directed his subordinates to abduct the Moseichuk brothers and transport them to a military base near Poltava. It is further alleged that Luchanov subsequently ordered their execution to cover up the abduction, with a battalion commander reportedly carrying out the killings at a military training ground before burying the bodies.
Luchanov has denied the allegations, stating he does not consider himself guilty and is prepared to cooperate with the investigation. His defense lawyer, Denys Lysov, argued that the case lacks direct evidence linking Luchanov to the murders and suggested that witnesses have identified another servicemember as responsible for issuing the orders.
Luchanov was detained on July 13, making him the tenth suspect in the ongoing investigation. The case initially came to light on July 11, when reports emerged of nine servicemembers from the 155th Brigade being detained on suspicion of kidnapping. On the same day, Ukraine's Operational Command North announced that Luchanov had been declared absent without leave.