Ukraine announced on Sunday the opening of an investigation into the deaths of a group of soldiers who may have been killed in a Russian missile strike during a decoration ceremony on Friday.
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More than 20 Ukrainian soldiers from an assault brigade died in the attack in the Zaporizhia region on Friday, the online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported.
AFP could not immediately verify the circumstances of the attack.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov called the incident a “tragedy” and ordered a thorough investigation.
“We must do everything we can to protect our people and give honest answers to the families and friends of fallen soldiers,” he said Saturday evening.
AFP
The Ukrainian military confirmed that several soldiers had been killed, without specifying the number.
“On November 3, the enemy carried out treacherous attacks in the direction of Zaporizhzhia,” the Ukrainian army commented on Saturday.
“In particular, he fired an Iskander-M missile at the personnel of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, killing the soldiers and causing injuries of varying severity to residents of the region,” the army added.
A Ukrainian soldier wrote on social media that 22 people from the brigade had been killed and that they had gathered for a ceremony to present military awards.
Everyone writes that “heroes have died.” However, it would be more appropriate to write: “Heroes have become victims,” said soldier Ivan Savytskyy.
The Zakarpattia region of western Ukraine, where the soldiers died, will observe three days of mourning starting Monday, local governor Victor Mykyta said.
“Our heroes live as long as their memories and their deeds last,” he said on Sunday.