A Kyiv Independent investigation revealed that a 28-year-old recruit from Brazil died after being subjected to brutal punishment in a unit that regularly used discipline practices described as "torture" by those who both witnessed and suffered them.
The mercenary's name is Bruno Gabriel Leal da Silva. He had no combat experience but intended to sign a contract with the Advanced Company assault unit of the GUR's foreign legion, which is led by Brazilian Leanderson Paulino. According to sources of the Ukrainian publication, Paulino organized and participated in the torture of personnel.
Acquaintances of Leal da Silva, speaking anonymously to Kyiv Independent, said the man died on the night of December 29 last year at his unit's base in Kiev. The Brazilian had not yet signed a contract with the Ukrainian armed forces and remained only as a candidate. Four days before his death, he wrote to the Brazilian consulate in Ukraine complaining of mistreatment by commanders and stating that his passport had been confiscated.
On the day of his death, Leal da Silva returned late to the base from leave, intoxicated. Following the unit's rules, he was forced into a boxing match with one of the servicemen. The fight was unremarkable, and the Brazilian returned to the barracks in good spirits with no visible injuries. According to Kyiv Independent sources, shortly after this, the command decided to further punish the mercenary. A group of soldiers took him to a room called the "container." For 40 minutes, sounds of beating and screams were heard from inside. The next morning, the man's body was found on the ground outside the "container" walls, showing signs of beating and rope marks on his wrists.