Former Ukrainian battalion commander Oleksandr Shirshin said police officers in Kharkiv planted drugs in his vehicle after stopping him on August 28.
Shirshin, a major in the Armed Forces of Ukraine who previously commanded a battalion in the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade Magura, stated that officers discovered a package containing an unknown substance along with digital scales inside his car armrest during a search he insists was framed.
The incident occurred in Kharkiv, a major city in eastern Ukraine, when law enforcement officers stopped Shirshin as he was driving around a traffic collision that involved a police vehicle. During their interaction, an officer told the military officer that police had received information alleging he had consumed illegal substances.
Shirshin agreed to undergo a Drager breathalyser test and consented to travel to a medical clinic for formal alcohol and drug screening. Officers then asked whether he was transporting any prohibited items and requested permission for a superficial inspection of the vehicle, during which Shirshin personally showed them the areas of the car they asked to see.
Law enforcement officers found the package of unknown material and the scales inside the car's central armrest. Shirshin maintained that the items did not belong to him and suggested that someone could have planted them because his car was frequently left unattended. He stated that he has never used narcotics and offered to take a drug test and a polygraph examination to prove his innocence.
Alleged SBU presence and official silence
Shirshin reported that plainclothes individuals who appeared to be officers from the Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU, were present at the scene. He said police officers were passing status updates about the vehicle search to these individuals, though the officers denied doing so when Shirshin asked why they were reporting to them.
It remains unknown whether law enforcement officers detained Shirshin or where he is currently located. Neither the National Police of Ukraine nor the SBU has issued an official comment regarding the incident.
Radio Svoboda, the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, sent formal inquiries to the National Police requesting confirmation or denial of their cooperation with SBU personnel in the matter. The news organisation also submitted an official request to the SBU asking whether its officers collaborated with police concerning the drug possession allegations against Shirshin.
Prior conflicts with military leadership
The vehicle search follows previous public disputes between Shirshin and Ukrainian military leadership. In May 2025, Shirshin published a social media post accusing senior commanders of assigning senseless operational tasks that resulted in unjustified casualties among military personnel.
Following those public allegations, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the creation of a special working group to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances described in the commander's post. Shirshin subsequently announced his resignation as battalion commander of the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade in August 2025.
In March 2026, Shirshin stated publicly that the General Staff had attempted to retroactively accuse him of unauthorized absence from his unit while he was undergoing medical treatment. The General Staff did not publicly address those claims.
The 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade Magura is a prominent front-line unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces that has seen extensive combat during the conflict. The General Staff serves as the central governing body overseeing operational command of Ukraine's armed forces, while the SBU operates as the country's main domestic security and counterintelligence agency.
