The Central District Court of Dnipro remanded in custody without bail the commander of an UAVs battalion who, despite the ban of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, gathered soldiers for an award ceremony in the Dnipropetrovsk region on November 1. The Russians then attacked the place.
This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office (PGO).
Investigators claim that on November 1, the officer organized a ceremonial formation and awarding of awards for over 100 servicemen in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Among others, civilians were present in the place.
In addition to the direct prohibition of the accumulation of personnel and the requirement to disperse them, after the air raid alarm was declared, the commander did not interrupt the event or disperse the servicemen.
At this time, the Russian Armed Forces struck military concentration sites with three “Geran” drones and two missiles — preliminary “Iskanders”.
The strike killed 12 servicemen and seven civilians. Another 36 servicemen were wounded.
The officer is charged with negligence in service under martial law, which resulted in grave consequences (Part 4, Article 425 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He faces five to eight years in prison.
What preceded
On the evening of November 1, the Russians struck a Ukrainian military base in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The investigation checked whether the safety requirements for personnel were met during the air raid and whether the shelter for the military was properly organized.
A pre-trial investigation was initiated under the article about negligent attitude towards military service, committed under martial law.
TSN journalist Dmytro Svyatnenko reported that his brother Volodymyr was killed in the strike. He and his comrades were gathered for the award ceremony. Volodymyr Svyatnenko served in the 35th separate marine brigade.
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