Ukrainian prosecutors have ordered the arrest of a battalion commander following a deadly Russian air strike that hit troops at a ceremonial gathering, killing at least 19 people.
The incident occurred on November 1 in the Dnipropetrovsk region and is one of several recent cases where officers organized gatherings or ceremonies that were subsequently targeted by Russian forces.
According to a statement released on November 8 by the Prosecutor-General’s Office, the commander of a drone unit arranged the ceremony and ordered soldiers to attend. Relatives of the soldiers were also present at the event.
Russia attacked the gathering using drones and two ballistic missiles, resulting in the deaths of 12 soldiers and seven civilians, prosecutors reported. Additionally, 36 soldiers were wounded in the strike.
The officer has been charged with negligence and is currently being held in pre-trial detention, officials confirmed.
In response to such incidents, Ukrainian commanders have sought to ban public gatherings, especially after widespread outrage following a similar attack in November 2023 that killed 19 soldiers.
*Note:* RFE/RL has been declared an “undesirable organization” by the Russian government. If you are in Russia or Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in these areas, please be aware that sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content—or contacting us—could result in fines or imprisonment. For more information, click here.
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-officer-negligence-ceremony-soldiers-killed-russia/33585481.html