The escape of Russian soldiers from Trostyanets in Sumy region could be the reason for the dismissal of the commander of the 1st Tank Army of the Western Military District of the Russian Federation, Sergei Kisel, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry has suggested.
"The consequences of the Ukrainian military liberating Trostyanets in Sumy region and the defeat of the Kantemir tank division have become known. Last night, the Main Intelligence Directorate reported that the commander of the 13th tank regiment, which is part of the division, shot himself. Thus, the number 13 turned out to be unhappy for a Russian officer. Just as number 200 for a separate motorized rifle brigade of Russians, which the Kholodnyy Yar brigade defeated and partially turned into Cargo200 in the Kharkiv direction," it said.
Also, the Defence Ministry drew attention to the fact that in the Russian Federation, the commander of the 1st Tank Army of the Western Military District, Lt-Gen Sergei Kisel was dismissed. The 1st Tank Army includes the Kantemir Division. It is noted that Kisel was fired due to the huge losses and failure of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"We do not rule out that the fleeing of the Russian army from Trostyanets just became the last straw," the Defence Ministry added, commenting on the dismissal of the Russian commander.
Earlier, on March 26, the Ukrainian soldiers of 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade Kholodnyy Yar with the help of territorial defence and local partisans liberated the city of Trostyanets from the Russian occupiers. The Kholodnyi Yar brigade pushed out the Kantemir Tank Division, an elite unit of the Russian Ground Forces.
Fleeing, the Russian military left weapons, equipment, and ammunition. The Ukrainian military will use them to release other Ukrainian cities from occupation.