Over 20 Killed in Ukraine: Rocket Strikes Soldiers During Ceremony, Shocking Heart of Conflict.
A grave incident unfolded in a frontline village in Zaporizhzhya, where the Russian army targeted Ukrainian soldiers assembled for an awards ceremony. More than 20 individuals are believed to have been killed in the attack, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. The soldiers had convened to commemorate Missile Forces and Artillery Day on November 3.
Soldier Describes Fatal Ceremony at Frontline
A video circulating on social media features a soldier detailing a crisis within the brigade stationed in Zaporizhzhya oblast. He shares that an officer chose to conduct an award ceremony in a frontline village, resulting in the deaths of “many” defenders and civilians. This incident was corroborated by a source within the Interior Ministry, as confirmed to Ukrainska Pravda.
Over 20 Soldiers Perished
An insider quote from Ukrainska Pravda states: “Reports indicate that over 20 soldiers were killed on November 3, 2023, around 10:00-11:00 a.m. (Kyiv time), during an awards presentation for soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the contact zone in Zaporizhzhya oblast.” Among the victims was Volodymyr Voznyi, former head of the Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support of the Khmelnytskyi oblast.
Indirect Confirmation of the Attack
Viktor Mykyta, leader of the state administration of the Transcarpathian region, indirectly verified this information, urging the public to abstain from festive events in the ensuing days. The 128th Brigade has not yet issued a statement on the attack, and no response has been received from the Tavriia Operational Strategic Group by Ukrainska Pravda.
Subsequently, the Center for Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (StratCom) affirmed the attack, stating that an Iskander-M missile struck the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade’s personnel, resulting in fatalities among soldiers and injuries to local residents.
Image: kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu (2019-02-02) 03.jpg, via Wikimedia Commons (Image size changed)