Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada/Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has instructed the Defence Ministry to disestablish 25th separate airborne brigade of the High Mobility Assault Forces of the Armed Forces, he has told a parliament session.

"25th separate airborne brigade, whose military showed cowardice and surrendered arms, will be disestablished... The Defence Ministry has received this instruction," he said.

Moreover, Turchynov says this brigade's servicemen will stand trial; he says the Prosecutor-General's Office has received a corresponding order too.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Defence Ministry refutes 25th separate airborne brigade of the High Mobility Assault Forces of the Armed Forces has defected to separatists off Slovyansk, Donetsk Region.