Ukrainian military personnel have reported that the strike on the 128th Brigade in the Zaporizhia region is far from the first such incident when fighters gathered in formation were targeted

Due to the scandal involving an attack on the formation of Ukrainian military personnel in the Zaporizhia region, which resulted in the death of over 20 soldiers, there is a significant resonance surrounding this event. Particularly noteworthy is the official confirmation of the incident.

Ukrainian military personnel themselves, in their comments, state that this is far from the first such case of attacks during military formations. People’s Deputy of Ukraine, Maryana Bezuhla, has also mentioned the same.

However, up until now, with rare exceptions, the Ukrainian command had never officially confirmed such attacks on the locations of Ukrainian troops. Cases where this was acknowledged are few and far between. For example, the attack on a training camp in Desna in May of the previous year, which President Zelensky publicly acknowledged, or the strike on the military airfield “Kanatovo,” which was attributed to former intelligence officer Roman Chervinsky.

In most other instances, even if information about such incidents surfaced on social media and in the news, there were no official comments or confirmations. The situation had never before been commented upon at the level of the Minister of Defense, with statements like “we will conduct an investigation and clarify all the circumstances.”

At the same time, it is worth noting that there is growing discussion of conflicts between the political and military leadership of Ukraine, between President Zelensky and Defense Minister Zaluzhny. The President’s office criticizes an article by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in The Economist, and the outgoing commander of the Special Operations Forces (SSO), Khorenko, claims that his dismissal occurred without Zaluzhny’s knowledge. Western media outlets also report on increasing disagreements.

Whether there is a connection between these conflicts and the Ministry of Defense’s response to the attack on the military formation in the Zaporizhia region remains to be seen as further events unfold and the results of the investigation announced by the Minister become known.