Minister announces clarification: Mourning for dead soldiers in Ukraine

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Minister announces clarification: Mourning for dead soldiers in Ukraine 21 hours According to official information, numerous soldiers were killed in a Russian attack at a ceremony in the frontline area of Ukraine. The soldiers took part in an artillery day ceremony in the Zaporizhzhia region, when Russian shells fell there. The internet portal “Ukrainska Pravda” reported more than 20 deaths. Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov confirmed the “tragedy” but did not give any figures. Authorities in the soldiers' home region of Zakarpattia declared three days of mourning on Sunday. Minister Umyerov expressed his condolences to the relatives of the “fallen soldiers of the 128th Zakarpattia Mountain Brigade” on Facebook. He didn't give any details - not even the day. The incident is said to have occurred on Friday. “All the circumstances of what happened are being clarified,” he said. “Our enemy is an insidious terrorist.” Relatives and friends should receive honest answers. The head of the Zakarpattia military administration, Viktor Mykyta, said on Sunday that the “brothers” had been tragically killed. In the coming days, state flags should be lowered to half-mast and minutes of silence observed in the morning. In social networks there was sharp criticism of the military leadership for even allowing such a ceremony in the frontline area. Those responsible must be punished, Ukrainians demanded in comment columns. According to reports, the authorities and the minister only confirmed the incident after the information had been circulating for a long time on social networks and finally in the media.