Defense Minister Rustem Umerov called on the Defense Ministry to conduct a full investigation into an award ceremony held at the front lines, Minister Umerov announced on Facebook.
Soldiers of the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade were gathered in a front-line village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast for an award ceremony on Nov. 3. The brigade originates from western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast.
Earlier today, online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported that Russian forces could have killed more than 20 Ukrainian soldiers.
"I sympathize with with the families of the fallen soldiers," Minister Umerov stated. "All the circumstances of what happened will be clarified. I instruct the Chief Inspectorate of the Defense Ministry to conduct a full investigation into the facts of this tragedy."
Zakarpattia Oblast Governor Viktor Mykyta did not directly confirm the details of the incident but wrote on Nov. 4 that "after official information and with the permission of the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade, there will be an order to honor the fallen soldiers."
The Kyiv Independent news desk
