Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov spoke about the results of the investigation into the circumstances of the missile attack on the 128th Transcarpathian separate mountain assault brigade by Russia on 3 November.
The Main Inspectorate of the Defence Ministry reported on the results of the investigation into the circumstances of the missile strike on the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, Umerov wrote on Facebook.
"Now we know minute by minute what happened and how it happened. We have figured out what led to the tragedy and how it could have been avoided. Yes, they really gathered the soldiers in the yard to award them. All the rules of disguise were ignored. More than ten cars were parked nearby," the statement said.
The Defence Minister noted that at that time a Russian reconnaissance drone was spotted in the sky. An air alert was announced throughout the Region.
"The soldiers were warned about the sector where the enemy UAV was operating. As soon as the missile launch was detected, the 'missile danger' signal was sent out. No centralised security measures were taken at the award ceremony," the minister said.
He added that the investigation into the case is ongoing and is being conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation.
"All those responsible for this tragedy will be punished according to the law. I instruct the General Staff to check the implementation of security protocols in the units. I appeal to all commanders who are responsible for the safety of soldiers: disregard for basic security measures is unacceptable," Umerov stressed.
On 3 November, Russians fired an Iskander-M missile at the personnel of the 128th separate mountain assault brigade in Zaporizhzhya Region, killing the soldiers. Defence Minister Rustem Umerov instructed the Defence Ministry's Chief Inspectorate to conduct a full investigation into the attack.