Zelensky says safety rules were ‘violated’ at Ukrainian military ceremony that was hit by a fatal Russian strike

CNN
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky He said safety rules had been “violated,” leaving soldiers and civilians exposed to a deadly Russian missile attack on a village in the Zaporizhya region, which he described as “an avoidable tragedy.”

A Ukrainian military brigade announced Monday that 19 of its soldiers were killed last week in an air strike during an awards ceremony near the front lines in Zaporizhia.

“The whole situation is being analyzed minute by minute,” Zelensky said Monday in an address to the nation. “It will be known who exactly violated the rules regarding the safety of people in the area accessible to enemy aerial reconnaissance. There will be no evasion of responsibility.”

Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustam Umarov On Sunday, he ordered a criminal investigation into the attack. “We must do our best to protect our people and provide honest answers to the relatives and friends of the fallen soldiers,” Umarov said in a statement on Facebook.

The strike occurred as Ukraine celebrated the Day of the Missile Forces and Artillery on Friday, a celebration of Zelensky’s actions. described As “those warriors who form the backbone of all defense and security forces of Ukraine.”

At a separate ceremony on Friday not related to the missile attack, Zelensky presented awards to Ukrainian soldiers at an unspecified location, according to a statement from his office.

The Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) said it had begun investigating “the actions of military officials who organized the event dedicated to the Day of Missile Forces and Artillery near the front line.”

“Criminal proceedings have been initiated in response to this tragedy,” Zelensky emphasized in an address to the nation on Monday evening. He added: “The investigation must provide honest answers to the families of the fallen soldiers and to society about how this tragedy occurred and whether any improper orders were issued.”

According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian forces fired an Iskander-M missile at troops of the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade, killing soldiers and wounding local residents.

In the immediate aftermath of the strike, Ukrainian parliamentarian Mykhailo Volynets said that 28 people were killed and 53 injured as a result of the missile attack. He did not specify the number of civilian casualties and the number of soldiers.

The general said in a statement on the Telegram application on Monday that 19 of his soldiers were killed. CNN was unable to independently verify the number of casualties.

Zelensky said that the brigade commander has been suspended and will remain so during the ongoing investigation.

“The main thing is to establish the whole truth about what happened and prevent such incidents from happening again. Every soldier in the combat zone – in the line of enemy fire and aerial reconnaissance – knows how to behave in the open, how to ensure safety,” Zelensky said.

The 128th Brigade has been used in combat operations in eastern Ukraine since 2014, and is fighting in South of the country Since Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in early June, seeking to reclaim territory captured by Russian forces in the February 2022 invasion.

Ukrainian forces said they did so “First line” penetrated Ukraine succeeded in controlling Russian strongholds in the Zaporizhzhya region in September, but the progress of the counterattack was slow, as the heavily fortified Russian defenses confronted the Ukrainian forces.